Is this just molting?

[LakeGirlHens]

Lala my leghorn finally has appetite but still pretty lethargic. Eats from my hand and food dish again after I force feed her for 1 day. I don’t want her to get weak again so now bringing her into my garage for 1-2 hours a day to feed her & give her water (she is eating & drinking on her own) so not as lethargic as she was two weeks ago.I don’t want her to become weak again. Yesterday I also put food in the coop which I see her eating but she still won’t leave the coop. Normal poop, but comb not as bright red as usual.

She won’t even leave the coop to get water which is in the run. She just wants to hide in the nesting box ALL day long. I’m worried about her not leaving to get water. If I bring her into the garage for a hour, she will immediately seek the food & water so I know she wants it. (See pic below of Lala in garage feeding station.) However, as soon as I put her back in the coop she runs back into the nesting box. The only time she interacts with the flock is at night. She leaves the nesting box on her own & joins the flock on the roost at night but she won’t socialize with them during the day. She is almost done molting (still she some feathers on her head with a little of the sheath remaining.) She started molting losing feathers late August- now it is mid December. Her personality has changed when molting in the past but this time it is more severe. She is normally the top girl but now she is afraid of two of the pullets. In fact because of her personality change where she is acting meek for past three weeks, they have started attacking her when I have taken her from the nesting box and tried to put her in the run. When this happens, she runs back into the coop and hides in the nesting box. It is also ver cold here (7 o outside). My coop is heated with radiant heater so warmer than outside but when she’s in the nesting box, she’s not getting the full benefit of the radiant heat (she needs to be in front of radiant heater). Questions- 1)Is this normal for her to take this long to molt 2)Is it normal for a molting hen to act like this- personalty change acting meek and reclusive? (Last year she became subdued while molting and sat on the roosting bar all day but this year it is much worse.Taking longer to molt and hiding in the nesting box.) 3) what do I do about her not wanting to leave nesting box even to get water? I don’t want her to get weak/ill. Should I put a nipple waterer in the coop? 4)I am concerned the pullets are starting to pick on her because she’s hides in nesting box and meek. (They chased he, pecked at her & even jumped on her but I broke up the fight. She won’t fight back at them like she normally did in the past. Instead she wants to run and hide). Do I put the two pullets in jail & close the coop door to force Lala to interact with the rest of the flock?

I feed her Kalmbach Henhouse Reserve 17% protein layer feed which she started eating again on her own after I force feed her for 1 day. I also offer her wet mash starter feed 18% to see if I can get more protein in her. Last 3-4 days I have also given her about 3-4 blueberries a day (her favorite treat) for energy boost. She won’t eat scrambled eggs or ground hamburger meat so I give her extra worms which she quickly eats. If she’s just going to sit in nesting box all day, do I just bring her in my heated garage all day so she can eat, drink & stay much warmer? Or do I bring her in the garage for a hour to eat and drink a 2x times a day to make sure she is getting enough food/water? But also worried if she continues to be in the nesting box then she will become even more alienated from the flock.

6 hen flock. 3 older hens/ 3 pullets. Multiple feeders but 1 very large heated waterer in run. I can put a heated nipple waterer in the coop if needed & it doesn’t increase moisture (I have a hygrometer in coop so I monitor temp and humidity all the time!) coop 4x6 insulated w/ radiant heaters, attached run 10x12 which has a covered roof plus sides are covered with greenhouse panels to keep snow & wind out of run during winter. I live in Minnesota so extreme temps right now & fluctuates a lot (0 to 30 F).

Any other ideas to support Lala?

 

[Mrs. K]

How old is she? I don't think you can do any more.

 

[LakeGirlHens]

How old is she? I don't think you can do any more.

I’m not sure of her age (may 3?) because she was given to me. I’ve had her 1 1/2 years.

 

[Mrs. K]

I wondered if she was getting some age on her. She looks old and kind of worn out. Truthfully I think you are doing a great deal for her, but death might come, it will evenutally no matter what you do, it does to all of us.

She may pull through and do fine. There really is no way to predict, I think what she is suffering is from old age. I know a lot of people have hens that are twice this age, and living just grand lives, but the reality is chickens often don't live past 3-4 years. Commercial birds especially.

Often times when the flock dynamics change, there is an underlying health issue such as old age.

Mrs K