Hen hasn't moulted for 2 years - bare bum and rear area

[MandS]

Scarlett is a rescue chicken and when she came to us 2.5 years ago, she was basically bald. Eventually she grew lovely feathers and looked like a normal Sexlink chicken. However she lays every day almost without fail and doesn't take any time out. He featehers have become more scruffy and now her backside and rear area are bald. Her wings have feathers, but under them, the back is bare.

This hasn't seemed to bother her but recently it has started to get colder (we are between 4'C (39'F) and 15'C (59'F) here in the UK. She has stopped laying for a couple of days, and despite being a very inquisitive and active chicken (she flies onto my back at any given moment for a cuddle) - she is just sitting or standing in the nesting box and appears quite listless. She will eat if I take her out and she will wander around, eat a bit of food but then go back inside.

I don't know if it is highly unusual for a hen to keep on laying and not moult. She may be moulting now - although I cannot tell because she looks no different.

I have given her some scrambled egg and wonder if givign her warm mash might be a good thing. I wonder if she is cold - and/or is the moult coming, and if so, could that explain her change of personality. It is Wednesday and on Sunday, she was fine. Flew onto my back for a chat and seemed full of beans. She last laid an egg on Sunday.

I have felt her abdomen - all seems normal - I cannot feel an egg and it certainly isn't ascites.

This was a few weeks ago and she is looking a bit more scruffy - although she has looked like this for almost a year now - however she's a little fluffed-up as well now. I will try to take a picture later today if I can.

Any advice as to what I can do please?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What's her poop like?

Taking a sample of poop to see if worms may be a problem is a good idea. Her skin looks to be in good condition, but I would still look her over for lice/mites. See that her crop is emptying overnight.

She may be starting to have some reproductive difficulties. You mention rescue chicken, I'm going on the assumption she's an Ex Batt, but could be wrong. Often they can suffer from internal laying, peritonitis or similar reproductive disorders. The lethargy is concerning - could be she is starting to molt which as you know can cause some to feel a bit draggy. Look around her neck for any pin feathers coming in.

Egg is fine. A little wet mash is fine too.
As for being cold, chickens are fairly adaptive. I've had hens in severe molt (naked!) in the middle of winter at temps dropping into the teens (F) and they did fine but I provided extra straw in the coop for them to snuggle down into and place wind blocks for birds to hide/take cover.

 

[MandS]

Thank you for your advice.

She is an ex-batt but a rather robust one who just can't stop laying! However since this morning when I typed the above, she eventually came back into the run and started moving about quite normally. She is eating and seems alert again.

What I did find though was a broken soft-shelled egg in the nesting box. She lays very strong eggs normally (sometimes with bobbles of extra calcium on, so she's not short of it) but this may indeed be the start of the moult and it's affected her egg production (?)

Her poop is big, solid, great colour and has a nice dash of urates in it, so the "output department" seems to be working well.

I am so pleased to hear about your own hens suffering the cold of the mountains in (I assume, North Carolina?) without any ill effects, particularly as we are due a bit of a cold spell here in the UK in the next few weeks. They are predicting some snow - but it seems they do that every year for press headlines but we get next to nothing, if anything at all.

I will keep an eye on her now. I kind of hope she stops laying and gets on with the moult. All the other birds have started or are just finishing moulting - and I have noticed that a) their comb/wattles get paler (one even looks slightly purple at the tips like cyanosis) and b) they get a little less steady on their feet, which can be concerning - not falling over, just a bit unsteady if they try to do something a bit too quickly.

Having just been to give Scarlett some sweetcorn treats, she was keen enough to try jumping on my shoulder, so I am, as they say here, a bit more of a happy bunny!

One of her roomies has had diarrhoea for some months now (following a stint of antibiotics for a bit of possible egg yolk peritonitis) - so am thinking I might a) worm them and b) give her some stuff called Chicken Squits (don't know if you get it in the US - but it is a herbal treatment to help them solidify their poop and contains herbs and probiotics). Only for the girl with the problem though.

So THANK YOU again. I will update this as soon as there is any change.

 

[MandS]

Scarlett seems to be more or less OK. Hasn't laid today (which I think is good) but is about 80% normal. Good appetite and movement. Seems inquisitive and is scratching around well. Stayed out all day and hasn't hidden inside like the two previous days.

Unlike her roomie (Peggy) who is still getting paler, more wobbly and has very loose stools. It is mainly brown undigested bits. So I have done a few things today for her:

1. Given live bio cultured (Kefir) "yoghurt"
2. Some more nutridrench (basically vitamins and supplements
3. Added a very small amount of oregano to some mash (with the Kefir in it
4. Given her spinach in case she is anaemic

Her appetite and enthusiasm is great - just wobbly, pale and runny poop. Hope it makes a difference because the colour is draining from her comb / wattles. I realise she is now quite an old girl at 6 1/2 years but up until a few weeks ago, was very red, then started a mini moult (lost tail feathers mainly) and then went pale and a bit unsteady on her feet. Sher can get herself to bed OK but I am lifting her down in the morning so she doesn't fall on the stairs.

I have ordered de-wormer (Flubenvet in feed) for tomorrow as well, just in case.

Any advice, as always, gratefully received.

 

[MandS]

Update: Peggy had a huge crop as I pout her to bed. I thought she had simply eaten a lot (and she had - all of the stuff I mentioned in hte previous post, plus her normal foraging), so I thought nothing of it. I had to put her to bed because she was very unstable, however she roosted.

This morning, she was up and ready to come out but I felt her crop. Hard, bigger than a golf ball, not quite as big as a tennis ball, but rock solid, no movement in it at all. I tried a gentle massage, nothing moved and clearly it was uncomfortable for her because she cried a little.

I have now isolated her and given her no food. I have let her have water - but it is restricted. She pooped and again, very wet, undigested food and some sweetcorn (which could have been from 3 days ago not yesterdays - it stank by the way.

So, could this explain her wobbliness - not getting enough food or proper nourishment?

1. Do I give her unrestricted access to water or limit it to a number of drinks per hour in case she over-does it?
2. How do you know when you need surgery? Could this have been the problem she has faced for ages and hence why she has runny poop for so long? I assumed because she was eating normally and with gusto that there wasn't any crop problem and didn't check. She's a big bird (Marans) and you simply don't notice it on her.
3. Should I add anything to the water - olive oil, coconut oil etc?
4. How long do I give her before trying to get crop surgery done? I have had it done once before and it extended that little girls life by about a year.

I have dealt with impacted crops before but I have not felt one this solid. It's like a rock.

This is probably a lot more urgent advice than I have needed for a while.

Thanks

 

[Martaals]

I think by this time I would consult a vet. Preferably today before the weekend.

 

[MandS]

Believe me, I tried! We have one avian specialist vet in the area, the next being about 60 odd miles away. He was not working, so I tried umpteen others over the last two days, but nobody wants to go near an "exotic.

However, since posting above, I have managed to get a message to our avian vet this morning and we have an appointment tomorrow morning. I am to keep her in her crate with no food and let her have unrestricted access to water. I am hoping she won't overdo it (and potentially self-aspirate), because clearly she is hungry and will try eating her own poop if I don't clear it.

She is wobbly, bored, and is doing the neck movement to shift things (if she thinks I am not watching her).

So we have 26 hours until her appointment - hopefully I can keep her going.

I managed to get some nutridrops (now called Poultry Power) so hopefully that will give her vits and a bit of energy.

I may try massaging again later if she has had a lot to drink, but I also am conscious of causing her to aspirate.

Again, advice helpful.

 

[Martaals]

1. Believe me, I tried! We have one avian specialist vet in the area, the next being about 60 odd miles away. He was not working, so I tried umpteen others over the last two days, but nobody wants to go near an "exotic.
   
   However, since posting above, I have managed to get a message to our avian vet this morning and we have an appointment tomorrow morning. I am to keep her in her crate with no food and let her have unrestricted access to water. I am hoping she won't overdo it (and potentially self-aspirate), because clearly she is hungry and will try eating her own poop if I don't clear it.
   
   She is wobbly, bored, and is doing the neck movement to shift things (if she thinks I am not watching her).
   
   So we have 26 hours until her appointment - hopefully I can keep her going.
   
   I managed to get some nutridrops (now called Poultry Power) so hopefully that will give her vits and a bit of energy.
   
   I may try massaging again later if she has had a lot to drink, but I also am conscious of causing her to aspirate.
   
   Again, advice helpful.

   I am not an expert, but I would try not to fiddle too much while still keeping an eye, give her some rest, and follow the advice of the vet. If she isn't too lethargic I would say that is a good sign, even if it isn't nice for her to be confined.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Surgery would be the absolute last resort.
Never withhold water during waking hours.
Here's info on treating the crop.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[MandS]

Thank you all.

She has now stopped drinking, although she has had about a teacup of water in all. She has pooped - it is like cement now, grey, runny but just like wet mortar.

She is tired. Has been on her feet all day - wouldn't sit down at all. Her crop is just as big and I fear this has been the problem for a while and I have not spotted it or suspected it because she eats so heartily. But it is BIG and rock solid - no change, absolutely no chance of any massaging, it is like a brick. It is about the size of a satsuma or small orange.

She is sitting down now and as it will be dark in about 3 hours, she should hopefully sleep and then we take her at 11am tomorrow.

I have kept water there all day - given no food at all. I know you say that surgery is a last resort, but I think it is at that stage - it must have been long term unnoticed and it is so solid. I have been here once before with another large bird who had hers cleared and it did save her. Only difference is she was much stronger and poor Peggy is very weak at the moment probably because she's been starving slowly.

I value @Wyorp Rock greatly and wouldn't like to disagree with her at all - so please don't take it as that but I feel like I am at the point where no matter what oils or stuff I give her, this thing ain't moving.

So, please don't stop giving me advice because I really value it, but I think she's in BIG trouble at the moment and this does really feel like a last resort.

Please keep your fingers crossed/prayers too.

I will update tomorrow or later tonight if anything changes.