Help....Changed food. Losing Feathers & stopped laying.

[vgl42]

OK thanks

I have some grower feed left over. It is usually higher in protein...I can try to see if they'll eat that.

I never thought of giving it to them, because I heard you shouldn't eat the eggs if the hens are eating grower feed....Not sure if that is accurate.

Thanks again.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
Ditto!!!


Another option may be bad/old/spoiled food. If food gets wet mold and bacteria will grow on it and produce toxins. Did you notice the food clumping together at all in the bag or is it a whitish color?

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
Grower is fine as long as it's non medicated. It's medicated starter that you don't want to eat the eggs if the birds are eating it.

Gamebird or broiler feed has the highest protein usually.


My RIRs look like heck when they molt.

 

[vgl42]

The grower feed is non-medicated...so it should be OK.

The previous feed was not moldy or clumpy...this is also the same for the current feed.

I am feeling a bit more relaxed now...thanks to all. My kids were pretty freaked out when the hens stopped laying, but you should have heard them this morning when they saw the bare patches this morning...."Ahh! Daddy...we can see her skin!"

 

[PurpleChicken]

Here is a pic of one of my reds starting a molt last fall. She got much worse.

Here she is a month ago:

 

[vgl42]

Hey...that looks like my bird - LOL

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I'm glad you got it all figured out and that everything is normal!!!!

 

[write2caroline]

My girls run looks like a pillow fight and as each of them went through their molts they didn't lay for a few days - feather production needs protein.

Mine are now laying again but I would not be too worried so long as they are eating and pooping normally.
Caroline

 

[esconstruction]

I have 5 hens that are exactly 18 months old. They lost allot of their feathers and had bare spots.They roam free around my property and I thought they ate something bad. They huddled in the coop didn't eat and didn't look healthy and also stopped laying eggs. I am used to them laying about 4 eggs a day. It has been about 3 weeks since that happened and their feathers grew back to a really nice coat. They are eating normally again and i added some light to the coop to simulate a longer day since daylight savings time. They are back to normal with their energy levels and very talkative. Now I am waiting for them to lay eggs again. Seems to be a molting stage.