A little help with diagnosis of a sick chicken- pics

[pcord]

We have 5 chickens and one of them has been under the weather for a few months now. At first it was lethargy, a moderated appetite and poop caked on the feathers near her vent. Now she's beginning to lose feathers especially around her neck. They are new as of April 2010 and have not molted yet. Anyone have any clues or other things I should be looking for?

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

Well, it looks like new feathers are begining to come in, she/he might be molting. give it some time, it might just be a molt.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Have you checked for lice and mites?

 

[pcord]

I checked for mites but I'm not really sure what I'm looking for. I didn't see anything crawling around and it's hard to tell what might be skin flecks vs. eggs. I guess the mite check was tentatively negative. Attached is a better photo. Could she be molting this time of year? It's frigid outside!

 

[easttxchick]

It looks to me like she's molting. They don't quite act themselves when they molt.

for being such a good keeper of your chickens and noticing!
Just continue to watch her for any other symptoms.

 

[pcord]

So what is the protocol when molting? Does she stay outside in these temps (teens at night, freezing during the day)? The other girls are picking on her a bit and she's thin but I sure don't want to keep her inside for long! Also, how long does the molt last?