Inexperienced and looking for help!

[melanienew]

I'm sorry if this isn't posted in the right spot, but I'm worried about one of the chickens in my flock. She is the runt and she is very broody. She spends most of her time in the nesting box and I'm worried that she's not getting the right nutrients to be healthy. Her feathers are very rough and mangey and not soft like my other two chickens. She's also balding in some spots, but that could be from the other two girls pecking at her. If anybody has some advice on how to get her out of that nesting box or how to make sure she gets all the nutrients she needs to be a healthy girl, or how to make her feathers nice soft and full again it would be much appreciated I'm going to attach a picture of her for reference.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Is she setting on eggs to hatch?? Or just setting?? If she is not incubating eggs to hatch----break her from the broodiness----only takes 3 days then her health can start improving, etc, etc. If I am not going to allow mine to set---I break them the time they get started. If you need help to set-up a broody breaker cage to break her---just ask.

 

[Benevolent Barn]

I would reccommend separating her and putting her on her own pen for a few weeks. She does not look healthy at all, and she definetely has bad feathering. That could be a result of not preening or possibly some type of might. I am not expert on the little bugs and mites that sometimes get on your chickens. I would definitely ask and see if anyone has more ideas about that. It could also be malnutrition. When she is alone you can make sure that she is eating and getting proper nutrients. I am sorry I could not give you more answers. I do not have as much experience with chickens as I do with ducks. I just wanted to give you some ideas and a little help for a temporary solution. Best of luck.

 

[melanienew]

Is she setting on eggs to hatch?? Or just setting?? If she is not incubating eggs to hatch----break her from the broodiness----only takes 3 days then her health can start improving, etc, etc. If I am not going to allow mine to set---I break them the time they get started. If you need help to set-up a broody breaker cage to break her---just ask.

The eggs aren't fertile so shes just setting. And yes if you can explain how to set up the broody breaker cage that would be great!

 

[melanienew]

I would reccommend separating her and putting her on her own pen for a few weeks. She does not look healthy at all, and she definetely has bad feathering. That could be a result of not preening or possibly some type of might. I am not expert on the little bugs and mites that sometimes get on your chickens. I would definitely ask and see if anyone has more ideas about that. It could also be malnutrition. When she is alone you can make sure that she is eating and getting proper nutrients. I am sorry I could not give you more answers. I do not have as much experience with chickens as I do with ducks. I just wanted to give you some ideas and a little help for a temporary solution. Best of luck.

I hope its not mites. My other two chickens look healthy and I feel like if one chicken had them they all would. And i know she spends a lot of the time in the nesting box so that might be keeping her from eating. When I let them out of the run and open the hood to the nesting box then she'll come out into the grass and I see her drinking and eating but I feel like when the other two are in the run she just sits in the nesting box and probably doesn't eat. We have a feeder and a waterer in the coop and water in the run so unless the hood to the nesting box is open I don't actually see when they are eating and drinking