Chicken Stuck in a Continual Moult

[otoro]

I've got an odd problem with our 3 year old white Ameraucauna.
She hasn't layed in a couple months - which I don't expect during a moult. But she has started moulting much ealier than my Rhode Island Reds of the same age - and the weird thing is that she seems to be continually losing and regrowing feathers over the past 2.5 months.

So while I miss her eggs because they are my favorite (better yolk to eggwhite ratio), I'm a bit concerned with her because she doesn't seem to be completing her moult, just keeps on losing feathers.

Her feathers look exceptional now, she's nice and clean which is unusual because she loves her dust bath.

Is this a concern? Do I just wait it out? Any suggestions on what to do with a chicken that seems to be stuck in a continual moult?

 

[Eggcessive]

Pictures may help. Some chickens go through a molt without hardly appearing different other than tail feather loss, while some lose most feathers in large clumps and regrow them in a month or 6 weeks. Some take forever it seems. But watch for new blue feather shafts to be growing in. Other hens may find those tempting to pull out. Feather picking can be something to rule out. There are no rules as to how long a molt takes. A chicken who takes several months to molt, not laying eggs, is not the norm. Then winter comes, and she may not resume laying until after the new year.

 

[tesmoscow]

I have a similar concern with two of my chickens in a flock of 16. I have never had a problem. For several months, a continuous molt or so I thought and now am concerned it may be something else. I have tried more protein, worm medication, etc., but to no avail. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[otoro]

Here she is. Princess.

Still eating and drinking normally. Seems to behave fairly normally outside of this continual molt, but she's never molted like this.

 

[Colberon]

I have a similar concern with two of my chickens in a flock of 16. I have never had a problem. For several months, a continuous molt or so I thought and now am concerned it may be something else. I have tried more protein, worm medication, etc., but to no avail. Thanks for any suggestions.

I would check for mites, we had a huge problem and it caused one of our chickens to have huge bald spots, just now finally getting feathers back.

 

[Eggcessive]

Maybe another hen is just picking out her feathers around her upper neck and wattles?

 

[otoro]

I'll have to watch her closely to see if other chickens could be plucking feathers.

I use a powder normally for the chickens (permethrin i think?) currently for mite control, but maybe I can do more there.

If anyone has further suggestions let me know, I'll do some more reading here.