I definitely think something is wrong with my Delaware.

[ThinkingChickens]

I have been stalking the forums and reading a lot of chicken articles but nothing seems to fit what is wrong with my Delaware. I have six backyard chickens, they have a 9'x12' secure run and free range part of every day. All of the girls are of a good weight, finished molting.

However, my Delaware seems thin, she also is missing feathers from her belly as if they were rubbed off. She isn't red, and there is no sign of new feather growth like I saw when my other girls molted. She lays an egg a day, is still the biggest pain the butt in the coop (active, squawker, in charge). However, I just know in my gut that it's something because she's so small compared to the others. I've been debating worming the flock just to be on the safe side with a wormer that still allows us to eat the eggs.

Oh, they use pine bedding (have since we got them), she's a year old and their coop is cleaned at least once a week, sometimes twice.

 

[klmclain1]

Sometimes when they're broody, they'll lose/pluck their feathers off their belly so as to be able to keep the eggs warm. Is she hanging around on the nest alot? It wouldn't explain her size - but may girls range greatly in size even within their breed so I don't worry about that too much. If she's not broody, worming your flock won't hurt - you'll just have to toss their eggs for a bit.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

I haven't noticed her hanging out in the box, and she lets me pick up eggs with no fuss so I don't think she's broody. I ordered some DE but I couldn't find that wormer where it was still safe to use the eggs. I'm still looking for either a local source or waiting for BYC to get more in stock. Maybe she is just thin. She's always been on the scrawny side so I can't say she's necessarily lost weight, she's just small. Hmm.

 

[jak2002003]

One of my hens sounds similar to yours. I am looking for help too. She is thin and light compared to the other hens and I can feel her breastbone. Also her feathers seem dull and dry and dirty. Most of my hens are white and her feathers have gone very dull and dry compared to the others.

I don't think its worms as her droppings are normal and no sign of worms. Also my other 14 hens are all fat and healthy. I don't want to worm my flock as I have never used any chemicals on them. I am sure if it was worms then other birds in my flock would be sick too.

Other than the weight loss and bad feathers she acts normal - eating normal and everything else.

 

[speckledhen]

Sometimes, one will have a particularly rough 9-10 month mini-molt that isn't so "mini". I had one Delaware pullet who lost a massive amount of weight during hers and since then, a splash Rock did the same thing. I honestly thought something else was wrong since she also quit laying, too. After a couple of months, she started to gain, grew back her feathers and began laying again. Sounds like what may have happened with yours.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

Sometimes, one will have a particularly rough 9-10 month mini-molt that isn't so "mini". I had one Delaware pullet who lost a massive amount of weight during hers and since then, a splash Rock did the same thing. I honestly thought something else was wrong since she also quit laying, too. After a couple of months, she started to gain, grew back her feathers and began laying again. Sounds like what may have happened with yours.

That's reassuring. Mine is still laying daily which I find odd. However, it's possible she's in a mini molt. She eats and gets treats so I know she's eating. Perhaps when the weather warms up she won't look so thin.