Hen's feathers never grew back right

[IvynaJS]

One of my parent's birds has had this issue for the better part of a year now where her feathers haven't grown back after a molt. They're patchy at best, and the ones she has are all twisted, or still in partly in the sheathe.

In the summer it isn't as much of a problem, but come cold weather she has a hard time staying warm. And recently the other chickens started attacking her, and she may have a broken leg?? so now she's being kept inside. Poor girl

I've checked her over and didn't see any signs of mites. She's the only one of 11 chickens who looks like this...

 

[azygous]

When molt is incomplete or starts and seems suspended for months afterward, you would be on the right track to suspect an underlying chronic health issue if you have ruled out mites.

It would be helpful to know this hen's age and if this is her first molt or if she is older and has a history of interrupted molts.

 

[ThenNotSoChickenMaster]

I have the same problem. Gonna keep an eye out for answers.

 

[IvynaJS]

She is about 5-6 years old, and the issue first started December of 2016. She never had a problem before that.

 

[azygous]

I've had several hens with this problem. All were middle-aged. They seemed okay in every other regard. But all eventually died from an avian virus.

Not saying this is an issue with your girl. It's not possible to know what's going on inside her body when there are no other symptoms. What you can do is to treat this symptom with extra protein, that being what feather growth relies on.

The protein boost shouldn't be undertaken long-term, however. Kidney damage and other chronic issues could be triggered by too much protein over a long spell.

If your budget can handle it, Feather Fixer is formulated for feather issues such as this. Or you can feed canned mackerel or tuna a few times a week.

 

[IvynaJS]

I will pick up a bag of feather fixer and see if that helps, thank you!