Hen not eating!!!!

[tryxichicks]

I have an Ameracauna that has decided to stop eating her pellets. The other two are gorging themselves, but shes not. If I take out veggies or oatmeal she'll eat it but thats it.
She is 18mo., hasn't laid in a few days, not eggbound as far as I can tell and I've seen it a few times.
They are on Organic layer pellets. They get fresh veggies and scratch as treats.
Free range during any dry part of the day at this point.
She is acting normal, maybe a tiny bit slow...but she's eating less so it makes sense.
Poop is small and maybe a little less than firm, a little off in color, a little lighter or more yellowy, but its not odd for her to have strange poo at all.
Her color is good, shes the "lead" girl so its not that shes being picked on.


Could she just be eating less because she's done laying for the winter months, shes quite finicky about the weather.
Or is she depressed cause on of the other girls died two weeks ago? If she even remembers...
She's dropping a few feathers, could it be a mild molt?
I'm paranoid after loosing another girl so recently. Please anything will help ease my mind
Is it normal for hens to eat less if they aren't laying for the winter? Its pretty mild winter weather so far...
Thanks...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do you have any idea what your other girl died of? Is this new food that you've just introduced? Also have you ever wormed them? It could be molt too it can make them feel sluggish and off their feed. Can you post a pic? Did she lay regular before she stopped laying?

 

[tryxichicks]

The other girl died of having aspirated something into her pharnyx, and it turned into pneumonia.
The feed they are on has been the same for about 4 months now, I switched it slowly as well.
I haven't wormed them recently...I could take in a sample I s'pose.
I do see a few feathers of her scattered about, and I watched her preening today she wasn't plucking any out...
And yes she laid soft egg , then two days later a perfect egg, and no egg since. She was a very very slow layer last year, but they had just started laying then...
I just checked her crop after they went up for roost, it has food in it, just about a small golf ball size, she didn't like me touching it much though, but she is kind of a diva.
I'm hoping its a late molt...
Like I said she seems in ok spirits, walking around, foraging etc.
They have ACV water out in the coop, next to their regular water, but they always prefer the ACV when I put it out.
She ate oats, a little cabbage and zucchini with flax seed right before bed, she liked it a lot!
Thanks Miss Lydia for the quick reply!!!
I'll post a pic in the morning, but there aren't any feathers visibly missing...

 

[Miss Lydia]

You know what your alot like me, I give treats mealworms, veggies etc. and wonder why they aren't eating much of their pellets. I even asked that question a while back, so I'll tell you what the answer was, cut back on the etc. If they are foraging and getting other snacks then more than likely they are not that hungry for the feed. Mine have me so trained that they come to the back door and beg for their meal worms. If she eating and foraging and have lost a small amount of feathers then I'd just keep an eye on her, When mine were going through molt and it was their first one I put poultry drench into their water every other day. ACV one day PD the next. I felt it gave them an extra boost. Protein is what they need to help them feather out, do you put oyster shell out for them for the extra calcium they need for egg laying? I've found a couple of those soft eggs too, Sounds like they are being well taken care of, so hopefully this is nothing to worry about. Let us know how she does in the days ahead okay?

 

[tryxichicks]

Thanks, I know...I do kinda spoil 'em with a yummy breakfast, er, like every morning...oops.
Yes they have oyster shell, and I'm about to go out ans check up to see if theres any real evidence of a molt, hopefully thats all it is.
Thank you!

 

[tryxichicks]

When I got home tonight I saw more feathers in the coop, like 10 or 12, not a ton, but definitely hers. SO I'm going with a hunch and thinking she's starting a molt, or a mild late molt. Hopefully thats all it is. She seemed energetic and chowed down on yogurt and zucchini. Keep your fingers crossed this is all it is!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds great tryxichicks, I have a couple of my bantams still getting back their feathers so I think the cold weather just snuck up on them and some just didn't get started as early as others. I got 7 eggs yesterday out of 17 hens so some are still going inspite of the shortened days and cold weather. Did you look at her close for mites and lice? We had mites back a couple of months ago and even though I was looking all over on them I didn't see them till they got on me. But if she is eating great and drinking she's probably just molting. Keep us informed and Hope You Have Merry Christmas......

 

[Attila the Hen]

You can see my post recently about a hen not eating but seemingly okay. I brought her in for warmth and observation. After a day or two she eliminated a 3" piece of silicone rubber. I never felt it in the crop--the crop just felt grainy. Oh and she had diarhea.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How is your hen doing Attila?

 

[Attila the Hen]

She is back to normal. It's been hard to tell what is going on in the past since I couldn't tell my BOs apart. Now I have numbered them and am so glad or I might not have noticed her having a problem.
thanks for asking.