Is this a normal molt? What could be causing this? what do I do?

[missychicky]

My black austrolorp has benn looking really rather bedraggled for the past 2 months. Just yesterday I started finding little piles of black feathers. Is this a normal molt? I'm starting to get concerned for her since she has been this way for such a long time. Here are some pics-

 

[Chickengal505]

Do you have a roo?




P.S heres a BUMP

 

[chkn]

When's the last time you dusted her with poultry dust? It's too early for a molt.

 

[emys]

If she's been naked without any new pin feathers for 2 months, that's not normal.

Seen any feather plucking among your flock?? You may need to sort some out.

I'd give that girl a private room and some extra protein.


(and some shade - without her feathers, her face is getting sunburned.)

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Thats what I was going to say-not normal without a single new feather coming in-mites-lice-check really good. feed extra protein for sure too

 

[missychicky]

(missychickie's mom) well, we do not have a Roo but it has been a while since she has been dusted. We both searched her for signs of mites (we had an infestation last year) and we can not find anything out of the ordinary. We do not seem to have any feather pulling hens either. The feathers just drop off of her, complete to the shaft. Problem is, I think our yellow sex link is getting the same thing- she is missing tummy feathers and a few wing feathers.
By the way, how do you treat chicken sunburn? We did not know they could burn and her face has always been fairly red.

Thanks!

 

[whillo]

Sorry if this is a TJ, but was wondering, when you say "dust the chicken" does that mean with DE tossed into the bedding, or actually directly on the chicken?

 

[missychicky]

ok, so I would like to add that I DO see new feathers coming in in some places, but not everywhere. does that mean this IS a normal molt? Should I still dust her?

 

[chkn]

Definitely dust her. Be careful not to breath it or get it in her eyes. Try to work it down to the skin. Get it under the wings and around the tail and vent, back of the neck and around the belly in this case. Repeat in another week or two. They don't normally molt down to bare patches like that.

I've just started tring a bird mite and lice spray I got from the pet store. One squirt under the neck and back feathers, one under each wing, a couple around the tail and vent. I'm trying the spray for the convenience (rather than rolling a chicken around on my lap with Sevin). Someone elsewhere recommended the Adams Flea Spray.

I can't vouch for either of these yet but I'm going to give them a try. It definitely got the bugs scrambling though.

 

[missychicky]

Update-
I am missychicky's mom- missychicky is camping (and was very concerned about leaving me with her chickens until I mentioned I had you guys!)
She wants to know if Austro seems to be recovering ok, and if there was anything else we should do. After the first post we started feeding her cat food (she adored it!) last week we went to the feed and seed and got piprizine, electrolytes, and DE. We put the electrolytes in the water with the piprizine and dusted everyone with poultry dust and DE. Three days ago we gave them a mash that someone recomened of yougurt, catfood. egg, and some feed. Are we doing all we can? Does it look like we are making progress?
Thanks for your help- I know nothing about chickens.