Ear mites?

[Mamatomany123]

I have a 30 week old EE who stopped laying suddenly a little over a month ago. I figured it was because of shorter days combined with colder weather. Today I went out to observe them and saw she is constantly shaking her head. I checked her body over and she looks clear of mites or lice but am wondering if it may be ear mites? Does anyone have any experwith the and advise on how to check then treat if she does have them? Would that be a reason she may have stopped laying? She also is starting to look a bit thinner. Could the mites cause that as well?

 

[Mamatomany123]

Want to add that when I was checking her over she seems to have a lot of new feathers coming in. Is it possible she went through a molt and the new feathers are causing her to shake?

 

[aart]

I was a little off, shes 35 weeks, but still younger than what I would have thought to go through a molt.

Not uncommon for birds that age to have a partial molt their first fall/winter.

I'm already feeding all flock with oyster shell on the side to all of them.
Is that enough for her to help her through the molt?

I think so.

 

[aart]

Molting can be very 'uncomfortable'.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Molting can be very 'uncomfortable'.

I guess I just didnt expect a molt yet. While i was examining her i did notice a lot of those sheaths (i think that's what they're called) loose all over her body.

 

[aart]

I guess I just didnt expect a molt yet.

I misread your first post as 30 months instead of weeks.
Kind of odd for a molt at that age, tho not unheard of, but it is what it is...
....if you see pin feathers and sheathing flakes, it's a molt.

 

[Mamatomany123]

I misread your first post as 30 months instead of weeks.
Kind of odd for a molt at that age, tho not unheard of, but it is what it is...
....if you see pin feathers and sheathing flakes, it's a molt.

I was a little off, shes 35 weeks, but still younger than what I would have thought to go through a molt. I'm already feeding all flock with oyster shell on the side to all of them. Is that enough for her to help her through the molt? She looks like shes getting thin but shes always been fluffy so it may just be the feather loss that's making her look that way.