Hen is pale and droopy

[sparkles2307]

I have a Wellie who WAS laying and had a bright red comb and now I noticed 2 days ago that her long tail feathers are gone, her butt isnt bald but the long ones are gone so she looks just off balance. Her feathers are dull, not vibrant like the other Wellies I have, and her comb/wattles are not only pale, but upon closer (2 ft away as she wont let me catch her) inspection it looks dry, like, you know when your skin gets dry its kind of whiteish and flaky looking? Its like that... it doesnt look like theres something ON it, it just looks really dry... and shes just droopy. She perks up enough to RUN like the dickens when she sees me coming after her, but she hasnt laid in a week and now the past couple days she looks like crap. Any ideas what it is?

 

[3goodeggs]

Could she be molting? I think that usually starts around the head though. If you can't catch her, it will be difficult to look for mites, but then again, she could be bottom hen on the roost and is just getting beat up.
There are a lot of reasons she could look as you described. I am sure that the real chicken people on here could help you more than I can, but if you would post a picture, It may help them identify the problem much quicker.

 

[sparkles2307]

I looked at her legs and they look fine, I know there are more than one kind of mites, but her legs are clean and bright yellow. She might be molting, but would she be so blah from that?

 

[sparkles2307]

Shes actually one year old almost to the day, in case age has anything to do with it too.

 

[3goodeggs]

To be honest, my year old girls-yesterday! I should have baked them a bag of carrots! - anyway, they are not as shinny and beautiful as they used to be. I have a couple with dry pale combs, and a few have rooster burns even though we don't have a rooster, but I caught dominate hen role playing the other day, so I guess they are hen burns.

I caught my reflection in the car window this morning and I don't look so hot anymore either.

I guess that's where the term 'spring chicken" comes from.
Is she acting lethargic and weak, or just comes across that way?
I think molting does use up some extra energy, so that could be it. Hopefully someone who knows more about chickens than I do will log in.