Molting hen - lethargic and decreased appetite

[LakeGirlHens]

I have a Brown Leghorn. Not sure of her age but might be 3 years old. Last year when she molted her personality changed. She’s normally the top girl but when she molted she became subdued. However, this year she started molting earlier than usual… Around late August. It is early December and she’s still molting. I do not see any blood pen feathers but many of the new feathers still have the protective keratin sheath on them. I live in a very cold climate- Minnesota. Last several days she didn’t want to get off the roast and she even goes into the nesting box to get away. Not eating or drinking much so I brought her in the garage. It is cold so I don’t want her struggling to keep warm in single digits outside in her run. She ate her about a tablespoon of her layer when I brought her into the garage. She also had several gulps of water. She didn’t want scrambled eggs, ham or beef tidbits which she normally would gobble down. I have tried worms, blueberries but just not interested which is not typical for her. She was interested in chopped walnuts & pine nuts (I didn’t have any shelled sunflower seed). I noticed her decreased appetite since last Thursday. I’ve been feeling her croup and barely anything in it but now that she ate about a tablespoon of layer feed I feel food in it. She has normal poop but not much since not eating much. I’m worried that she is so lethargic. I don’t know if she is sick or if she just had low energy due to cold and molting. It is supposed to be 30 degrees F tomorrow so I’ll put her back out in the run/coop but keeping her in the garage tonight since only 5 degrees outside. She clucks when I talk to her but spending most of her days laying down. Her comb is red but not bright and earlobe cream when normally bright white.No poultry vet near. Any thoughts?

 

[azygous]

First of all, layer feed has not got enough protein in it to get hens through the demands of molt. Spring for a bag of chick starter and feed the hens that until they complete molt.

This hen may be pushing herself to the limits pf her reserves. I have had a molting hen stop eating entirely and I had to tube feed her to bring her back from the brink. I don't think your hen is that far gone since she will still eat a little. I believe she will likely take to the chick starter. Buy a little bag and try it. Also, give her a cup of water with one teaspoon of sugar in it to raise her blood glucose. It will give her an energy boost.

If she does refuse to eat, you may need to tube feed her to get an infusion of nutrients into her.

 

[LakeGirlHens]

Update-still a lot of chicken drama going on! Lala my leghorn now has an appetite. Eats from my hand and food dish again after I force feed her for 1 day. I don’t want her to get week 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. 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. 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. As I mentioned in the previous post, she is on the tail end of molting (still she some feathers 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 foe the 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 17% protein layer feed which she started eating again on her own after I force feed her for 1 day. 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?