Is this a hard core molt?

[NikaStar]

Hi everyone!
My chicken has been losing feathers since late spring.. early summer. Now really looks so bald and no signs of new feathers coming through. It's already cold where we are, about 6-10 degrees C. In coops warmer.
Not sure what's going on. Her age is uncertain, she came to me from a neighboring chicken coop in our area, not sure from where though. She is still giving eggs almost daily.. I think.
Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[azygous]

No, it's not all due to molt, though you could say molt plays a role since it is molting season if you're in the northern hemisphere. You are correct in noticing that something else could be going on due to no pin feathers emerging. Usually, emerging new feathers push out the old ones, so every bald area has them when feather loss is due to molt.

So, yes, you have a mystery to solve. Why isn't she sporting pin feathers on that massive runway? It could be that a furtive feather picker is mowing down the new feathers as they emerge. But you would probably see at least some pin feathers and also evidence of feather snatching such as bloody and broken feather shafts. So, I don't think that's what it is.

That leaves the possibility of an underlying health condition such as a chronic disease that is interfering with feather regrowth. This does not bode well for the rest of your flock that you took this hen in from a neighboring flock. It may mean you've also imported, not just a hen, but a disease into your flock. No, there is no easy, quick, inexpensive way to test what disease may be present.

There is also a chance that this hen is malnourished. That can affect feather regrowth, causing a chicken to be "stuck in molt" indefinitely. You can try giving her extra protein for a couple of weeks (longer can harm the kidneys and cause other problems) and see if that jolts the feathers to start to regrow. Canned mackerel or tuna or shrimp are good. Raw liver or hamburger also work.

 

[aart]

Do you have other chickens living with this one?