Somethings after my chicks!?!?!?! PLEASE HELP!!!

[Stepaniechickie]

I have three hens, one Americana and two easter egg chickens that are 16 months old. Recently my Americana chicken stopped laying. I thought brooding until more than 8 weeks past and still no eggs. I was planning on taking her to the vet but recently I found that all the chickens have stopped laying! I think it may be stress and the fact that something may be trying to get at them! Apparently my mom found some feathers on the ground and saw that one of americanas tail had been pulled out! I'm I don't know what I should do and ive never been more scared! Please someone tell me what I might be happening and what I can do to protect them. We have hawks in the area but their enclosure is carefully covered so it must be something like a possum! Please help!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It sounds like your hens may be molting. Google it and see if this is what your seeing.

 

[Pork Pie]

It sounds like your hens may be molting. Google it and see if this is what your seeing.

If they are moulting, i understand that egg production stops for a while as they put their energies into regenerating their feathers.

 

[DcockyD]

You should wrap and secure extra chicken wire to keep the safe have a inch to two inch laying flat on ground unless your coops off the ground

 

[donrae]

16-20 months is the usual time of a big, hard molt. It usually co-incides with fall the year after they were hatched. The hens take a break from laying as their bodies need to put the energy toward regrowing feathers. Mine don't start laying again until the following spring, and repeat this cycle each year. If you want to force egg production after a molt, you can use supplemental lighting to get them laying again.

There are threads about "for folks who haven't been through a molt yet" with information and pictures of molting hens.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

x2

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

If they are molting,, bump their protein intake,, when chickens molt they use all the protein they intake to produce the new feathers. By boosting protein they will grow the new feathers faster and also may only slow down egg laying instead of stopping. There are several things you can add to your chickens diet to do this. Roasted soy beans, field peas, BOSS all have high protein levels,,, you can also use cat food or even meat scraps or meal meal worms. Around here we collect millipedes (sometimes called iron worms )by the thousands in the fall when they are looking for safe wintering spots which just happens to coincide with molting season