Molting and drinking but not wanting to eat!

[burchbagg]

Help!!! I have a 15 month Easter Egger, who is molting (she's the only one in a flock of three hens) Over the last week, she has dropped some weight, still is drinking a lot, but has lost interest in food. She will eat some grapes, meal worms and regular yougurt. I've tried making a mash out of crumbles, oatmeal and scrambled eggs, but this morning she's not interested in that. And her poop, is just water today form what I say. I have added layer boost electrolytes to the water for about a week now, but I'm concerned she's progressively worse! I haven't tried force feeding her yet, but any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[azygous]

I know it's natural to be alarmed when you see your already pathetic-looking chicken losing weight on top of everything else. But loss of appetite is part and parcel of molting.

I feel so sorry for my flock right now. They look awful, feel awful, are cranky, don't want to be handled and comforted, and they don't feel like eating. Some appear to even be shrinking, getting smaller right before my eyes.

It's all normal. But do keep watch. Their immune systems are lowered during this time, and they can be susceptible to all sorts of invaders.

 

[Linda V]

Help!!! I have a 15 month Easter Egger, who is molting (she's the only one in a flock of three hens) Over the last week, she has dropped some weight, still is drinking a lot, but has lost interest in food. She will eat some grapes, meal worms and regular yougurt. I've tried making a mash out of crumbles, oatmeal and scrambled eggs, but this morning she's not interested in that. And her poop, is just water today form what I say. I have added layer boost electrolytes to the water for about a week now, but I'm concerned she's progressively worse! I haven't tried force feeding her yet, but any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

So glad you asked the question about lack of appetite when molting! I'm going nuts here with Feather Fixer in their feeders but they are only nibbling on it now and then - but will gobble down scrambled eggs w/minced garlic in it, seedless grapes, and adore probiotic yogurt! One of my 2 hens will peck & eat feed pellets that are on the ground but refuses to eat out of the several feed outlets available to them! It makes me think she forgot how to eat out of them...very upsetting! They love corn scratch and BOSS but I'm afraid if I feed them too much of that, they won't eat any of the Feather Fixer!
LindaV in NC
8/11/17

 

[Eggcessive]

My feed requirements are greatly reduced during molting. They just don't have much appetite, preferring to lie around under bushes in the shade. Mine will also go for scrambled chopped eggs. Some like a pan of wet feed with a little plain yogurt mixed in, but don't let it sit out all day.

 

[Linda V]

My feed requirements are greatly reduced during molting. They just don't have much appetite, preferring to lie around under bushes in the shade. Mine will also go for scrambled chopped eggs. Some like a pan of wet feed with a little plain yogurt mixed in, but don't let it sit out all day.

You have NO IDEA how relieved I am to hear that! I was almost in tears over their not eating like they used to. Henrietta is like a mini-velocoraptor when it comes to food...she still is but not with the CHICKEN FEED!

Do you think I should replace all 3 feeders with Feather Fixer since we have 40 pounds of it now and the 2 feeders still have Purina Layena pellets in it? I can always store that away from post-molt but right now I think it would be best for them to have nothing but F-Fixer if they eat any chicken feed....what would YOU do?

They do get 1 cherry tomato each once a day day from the garden and they eat that in seconds.

Guess this also explains their being less active too now....

THANKS SO MUCH, Eggcessive!!! (cute handle...lol!)