Chicken losing feathers and screaming bloody murder!

[HeatherKellyB]

They can become unwell quickly if they're not eating. During their molt, they oftentimes don't want to risk bumping the others and won't eat or drink like normal. It seems like their risks for illness is higher during their annual molt because it takes so much out of them to regrow all of those feathers. You seem to be very close with your flock so I'm sure you will notice if she's unwell.

 

[Chuckadoodledo]

Hi folks, thanks for all your help!

A quick update: our molting bird is still pretty scraggly and keeping her distance from others (and especially us!) She's self-isolating for parts of the day in the neighbors yard when we let them free range, and she doesn't come back into the coop with the others when we lure them back with scratch and scraps. Last night we had to close the coop door before she came back because it was getting dark and we have lots of predators about. I heard her clucking loudly a while later -- the other girls had already gone into the hen house -- so went down, propped the door open, and retreated for a while. We thought she went in so closed the coop door, but this morning found her pacing outside the coop. Any ideas for how we can get her in at night would be welcome!

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Do you have a garage or somewhere she could stay in during the day? I'd worry about her self isolating and moving around without her flock. Molting is hard on them and it sounds like she's having a hard time. I know she hates to be touched, but I'd keep a close eye on her weight. What is she eating during the day?

 

[stargirl]

Hi folks, thanks for all your help!

A quick update: our molting bird is still pretty scraggly and keeping her distance from others (and especially us!) She's self-isolating for parts of the day in the neighbors yard when we let them free range, and she doesn't come back into the coop with the others when we lure them back with scratch and scraps. Last night we had to close the coop door before she came back because it was getting dark and we have lots of predators about. I heard her clucking loudly a while later -- the other girls had already gone into the hen house -- so went down, propped the door open, and retreated for a while. We thought she went in so closed the coop door, but this morning found her pacing outside the coop. Any ideas for how we can get her in at night would be welcome!

Does her feather regrowth confirm moult? Are any of your other birds moulting right now?

Not going into the coop is always a bit of a red flag for pests/mites as you probably know, because they tend to strike at night.

If it is a hard moult, one extra thing that I haven’t seen mentioned yet is that humidity/moisture can make them feel *much* more comfortable. Eg, you could bring her in once a day to sit in a steamy bathroom while the shower runs for 15 minutes or so. It helps to soften the casing of the pin feathers a little so they’re less sharp.

There are also sprays you can get that are designed for parrots during moult but are generally safe for chickens too (throw any eggs she lays while using, just to be safe). They sooth the skin and soften the casing a little too. I use this one for all my birds and it seems to make them a lot more comfortable (UK link but I’m sure you can find it in the US too).