CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP US....
We have 4 buff orpington hens about 9 months old or a little less. One is losing feathers all over the place and has other signs that she is moulting, but I didn't think they did at this age. The thing that concerns us and that I am worried about is that she is pale ALL OVER---all of her feathers are not as deep gold as they were before. We were new to chicken keeping last April, and are members here, and love BACKYARD CHICKENS SITE!
We take very good care of our birds (like pets) and I clean coop/run daily, use poultry spray prod. etc. I see no sign of mites...We are now feeding them 'feather fixer feed'.
I just want to make sure my Prissy is indeed moulting and is not sick---It's the pale feathers all over that worried me...
Some photos may be helpful.
It's
possible she could be molting, but this usually occurs around 16-18months.
Do you see any pin feathers coming in? Carefully inspect her to see if you find new growth. Also look for any signs of lice/mites especially around the vent and under the wings.
Buff Orpingtons have white skin and a layer of white/light downy feathers underneath their normal golden feathers, usually you see these coming out first when molting (atleast in mine I did).
When molting, they stop laying eggs, so when production stops, the comb turns paler and shrinks (starts to look a bit dry and shriveled).
How does she act? Is she lethargic, acting off in any way, having trouble breathing, etc.?
Just trying to "rule out" anything else that could be going on besides molt. One of my BO girls, is in heavy molt. I can see that she feels miserable, but it's obvious for the reason why. If you aren't seeing signs of new feathers coming in and yours is lethargic, etc., then vet care may be best.
Are all the feathers that are coming out, coming from the breast area? Is it possible she has pulled out her breast feathers and is starting to go broody? If she is broody, then the comb/face can become a bit paler as well, since they go out of lay during this time.
Keep an eye on her, if you have them offer some poultry vitamins in her water. If she is not eating well, you can give her some hard boiled egg to see if she will eat. Make sure she if drinking well above all else.
