Feathers fallin out of our mama!!!

[elilotz]

Ok, here's the problem. We have two chickens (one was recently eaten by a raccon), and Recently we've only been gettting one or none eggs each morning. We don't know whos the slacker or if they're just leying somewhere else. But the realy problem is that the dominant chicken is losing feathers. Some on her chest, a-l-o-t on her tail, and lightly all over her back (and maybe stomach).
What is this and do you know any cures?
THANX A LOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. (we call her mama 'cuz she takes care of the other chicken a lot, not because she has had chicks)

 

[OregonChickenGal]

It sounds like she's molting, mine are. During this time they really slow down on their laying. It wouldn't hurt to check her for lice or mites either, just to be sure.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

my hen just changed her feathers, and hasn't gotten her tail back yet. I love it when they molt in the fall, and not in the dead of winter...

 

[teach1rusl]

Oh yes, definitely sounds like molting. All birds do it, but sometimes they do a slow molt, losing only a few feathers at a time so that you really don't notice it. But other times they may go through a hard or fast molt, and they lose a LOT over a week or two (or three). Adult chickens molt once a year, and it's generally in the Fall. Right now my BA is going through a hard molt and looks terrible. Each morning it looks like someone has torn open a feather pillow over my dropping board. The others have gradually molted, so it's not really noticable.
Because feather regrowth requires a lot of protein, egg production typically stops, or severely decreases (because egg production also requires a lot of protein). You can help by upping the protein your girl gets. Gamebird feed, sunflower seeds, meats, etc. can help while she's molting.