Mama hen feathers not oiling

[ilovemychickens2000]

Recently one of our hens hatched out baby chicks. She had a bright red comb and buetiful oily feathers before.. but now her comb is kinda dull and her feathers arent as oily and shiny how can i improve this? (1st pic is her 2nd day with babies, 2nd pic is her babies now, u can see how her tail in 2nd pic is not oily) She hatched her babies out right b4 the cold weather if that makes a ddifference? i live in washington, we get lots of mud and rain during fall+winter

 

[CoopBoots]

Combs redden along with egg laying. My hens don't lay when actively raising babies, and their combs do stay a bit duller until they are ready to begin their next clutch of eggs/laying cycles again when the babies are almost independent.

So far as the feather quality, she could be going through a partial or full molt depending on the season. Is she growing in quills?

It wouldn't hurt to check for lice/mites to ensure there's no external parasites to worry about.

 

[Perris]

Recently one of our hens hatched out baby chicks. She had a bright red comb and buetiful oily feathers before.. but now her comb is kinda dull and her feathers arent as oily and shiny how can i improve this?

being a broody is hard work, and low-ceiling or snug nest boxes take a toll on tail feathers too. I would expect her to recover her condition soon after she weans the chicks. It is common for hens to have a mini-moult after brooding in order to replace worn feathers. But if you want to do something positive before then, I'm sure she would appreciate a tinned sardine if you offered her it.

 

[DobieLover]

All my broodies look bedraggled after all that work and sacrifice to hatch and raise a brood a chicks. They don't exactly have a lot of "me" time to preen. And they all molt either while still raising the chicks or immediately after kicking them to the curb. She will gain her lustrous feathers back when she molts and her comb color will return when her hormones balance out and the daylight increases. She needs time to recuperate from her ordeal.

 

[nuthatched]

She's a new mom, cut her some slack.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When a hen is laying her comb and wattles usually turn bright red. That tells the rooster she is laying and her eggs need to be fertilized. When she is not laying, such as being broody or molting, her comb and wattles turn pale. That tells the rooster to leave her alone.

It's nature's way of being more efficient in the survival of the species.