Easter Egger moulting question

[BugStalker]

Second time this ivory colored Easter Egger has moulted, but I think the first one was only partial, last winter. She seems to be having a harder time of it, this time, and I'm wondering if it could just be moulting, or is it more likely something else is going on, as well? Started moulting a few days ago. She's under 2 yrs old. Weight seems light at 4.5lbs, easier to feel her keel bone. She used to be the largest hen, but looks small without all her feathers, and the others seem to be picking on her enough that she avoids eating with them and wasn't in her usual spot on the top rung last night, though back there tonight. Top of her comb is often dark, and ears looking pale. Sometimes nest- building, though not laying. Hasn't had as much sun before today, this week, mostly due to weather. She eats feed (layer and starter), forage, and treats, and drinks water, though she also seems a little dry. I'm giving her extra grains and treats before she goes to bed, but she still has crop room, and I end up bringing her in for a night snack, especially since it's colder here than it has been. (She always has lost interest in most food when she decided it was bed time, even if her crop wasn't full.) Droppings seem a little on the dry side, urates become rubbery fairly quickly; found apparent intestinal lining in caecal dropping, haven't found many eggs in fecal floats I have done for her myself, yet, but she's only had natural worm deterrents, so far. I have had trouble feeling ascites, before, but she feels ok to me, so far. I intend to try to keep her fed, esp. protein, and hydrated, bird vets around here don't have much chicken experience. I'm wondering what others think, could this just be moulting, or does it sound like something else is going on, as well?

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Would it be possible to see a picture of her? Just to get an idea of her general health and where she's moulting? You mentioned her hanging out in the nesting box but not laying, is she broody perhaps? One of my EE girls was surprisingly broody, to the point of weight loss and altered pecking order.

 

[Shezadandy]

Depending on what part of the molt she's at - if she's got blood feathers coming in, she may be avoiding the others because they want to pull and eat them. Because feathers have a blood supply as they first grow, some hens learn to pluck their friends' blood feathers and basically follow them around like little vampires. Chickens LOVE blood. Love it. So, she might be in self-preservation mode. Check her over carefully and see if any of the new feathers appear damaged.

If you have a way to separate her, I would give her some TLC - scrambled eggs, maybe a nice wet warm water mash with her regular food -- give her just the starter because it should be 18% protein (layer is usually 16%) to see if you can get her to pick up some weight while she's at it. Keep to easily digestible foods - grains are harder to break down. If she can be kept within visual distance with her friends but out of pecking range that will help when it comes time to put her back.

She might need to finish growing out her feathers before you put her back in there. And of course lots of fresh clean water. You could always give her some poultridrench too - none of mine like it added to water, so I just give it via syringe so their water is just the clean normal tasting stuff.

 

[Shezadandy]

Would it be possible to see a picture of her? Just to get an idea of her general health and where she's moulting? You mentioned her hanging out in the nesting box but not laying, is she broody perhaps? One of my EE girls was surprisingly broody, to the point of weight loss and altered pecking order.

X2 on the pictures - my thought is this hen might be hiding from her friends to avoid having her new blood feathers plucked and consumed by her friends. Dark spaces like nest boxes are good hideouts.

 

[BugStalker]

Here's some pics The hens all had some feather damage from a rooster, but the other EE's feathers grew in well in her moult last month.

 

[BugStalker]

She's not getting layer feed anymore, only starter. She likes the warm mash followed by dry crumble. We also gave her one of her eggs scrambled. She's gained about 1.5 oz. Her feathers are still falling out, but many are growing back in.

We've been keeping her separated for the most part, with supervised free ranging because she misses the others and eats more when she's with them, as long as they are nice (distracted.) They also sleep together as normal. She's been getting to her spot on her own for the most part, and I separate after the morning crop check.

This dropping fell about a foot. I picked it up with the paper towel, then decided to post some pictures here a little later. It dried some in the meantime. They seem to have normal moisture, now.

 

[BugStalker]

Her tail feathers fell out and the new ones are still short, but she looks almost normal, now, and laid her second egg, yesterday! (I fed them back to her scrambled, but she only ate some.) She was roosting on different rungs, and now seems to have a spot on the top rung, but prefers on top of the feeder, (a large PVC pipe with a can on top, about a meter tall that the other EE likes during the day.) She's still sensitive to her feathers being touched at times.

The other EE often challenged a rooster and sometimes even me, though very flighty at the same time, but this one reminds me of an orpington.

 

[Shezadandy]

Her tail feathers fell out and the new ones are still short, but she looks almost normal, now, and laid her second egg, yesterday! (I fed them back to her scrambled, but she only ate some.) She was roosting on different rungs, and now seems to have a spot on the top rung, but prefers on top of the feeder, (a large PVC pipe with a can on top, about a meter tall that the other EE likes during the day.) She's still sensitive to her feathers being touched at times.

The other EE often challenged a rooster and sometimes even me, though very flighty at the same time, but this one reminds me of an orpington.

So glad to hear she's getting back to her normal life. Molting is a really strenuous process for our feathered friends. One of mine has been uncharacteristically hanging back under a bush during a really hard molt. Still a ways to go, but now that the feathers have broken through and are covering most of her body, she's getting back to more social behavior. I try not to handle them unless there's an obvious issue (like a broken and bleeding blood feather).

Happy Day! Thanks for posting the follow-up.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Helpful post, thanks for sharing. A couple of our pullets are going through their first partial molts, and the changes in their behavior and appearance are surprising, poor dears.

Their flockmates don't seem to be pecking, but it's good to know that's something to watch and solve for; I can hardly imagine what the hard molts will be like!

 

[Shezadandy]

Helpful post, thanks for sharing. A couple of our pullets are going through their first partial molts, and the changes in their behavior and appearance are surprising, poor dears.

Their flockmates don't seem to be pecking, but it's good to know that's something to watch and solve for; I can hardly imagine what the hard molts will be like!

Yes, you'll have porcupines instead of chickens when the hard molts happen. =) Glad the others are being respectful.