Any help appreciated!

[ScorpioHen]

Hi everyone. I am hoping someone can help me with a problem I have with one of my hens. She is an Easter Egger, just over 9 months old. She has been fine and healthy but the past few days she started losing feathers around her neck. At first, I thought she may be bullied by another chicken, but I am not sure. She now has quills growing back in, so I thought maybe she was molting. But at 9 months? Is this possible? She has lost some feathers on her tail as well. All her feathers are scraggly looking, her comb in pale and partially flopped over. She did stop laying a few weeks ago, I figured it was from the cold. (We are in Winter months now). She is eating and drinking fine and no problems with her poop. I feed them high protein layer feed, cracked corn, mealworms and grubs treats, typical hen feeds. Biggest difference that concerns me is she has become VERY MEAN. She will come up to you but will attack you. You cannot pick her up or even hold your hand out without her wanting to attack. She puffs up as like a rooster would and just goes crazy. I have never had any of my Chickens do this before. I have 6 total. I am sorry, I do not have any photos of her right now going through this. I have been laid up myself with health issues. Hopefully I can take a few in a few days. I did want to just come on and ask if anyone else has ever had this happen to them. I am a bit concerned I may lose her in the end if this is not just a typical early molting.

 

[dawg53]

Yes, she's in molt. Birds in molt dont want to be bothered. They can become irritable, grouchy, mean, fight flock mates and attack people.
As long as she is eating and drinking normally, let her go about her business. Once feathers are regrown, she'll settle down back to acting like a normal chicken should. Have patience.

 

[ScorpioHen]

Yes, she's in molt. Birds in molt dont want to be bothered. They can become irritable, grouchy, mean, fight flock mates and attack people.
As long as she is eating and drinking normally, let her go about her business. Once feathers are regrown, she'll settle down back to acting like a normal chicken should. Have patience.

Thank you so much! I suspected molt, but being so young threw me off. All my other chickens never did first molt until after 1 year old. Thank you again so much. You have eased my mind!!

 

[awagnon]

I have a Buff Orpie, Bella, who is a COMPLETE snuggle bug. I swear I think she thinks she a cat! Every time I go out to the run, she is the first one that comes running to greet me. I stand by the ramp going up to their coop and she will jump up there and demand I wrap my arms around her and snuggle her. Her sister's look on like she lost her mind. lol If I don't give her a snuggle, she will be at my feet jumping and flapping at me until I give her a snuggle. When she goes through her molts, if I even look her way, she turns into a TOTAL pschyo terrorist! I don't even think about touching her until she's over it. They can be extremely grumpy, like PMS on steroids when they are molting. I think it's because they expend so much energy making new feathers and are uncomfortable ALL OVER their bodies. When she is finished with her molt my little sweetie pie comes right back.

Most of the chicks I have gotten in all three of the batches and different breeds, went through some sort of molt around 7-9 months old. Some only lost a few feathers, others well, let's just say had total 'bad hair' days for a couple of weeks. lol

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Molting is very uncomfortable. The pinfeathers are full of blood and very sensitive. They don't want anyone to touch them, or even to get anywhere near them. When I toss out snacks (scratch, BOSS, mealworms) to my girls during molt, it is like a warzone. I have to toss it out over a very wide area so nobody gets in anybody else's space!