molting hen or mites?!

[lynnmc]

Hello. I have four silver laced wyandottes. One was broody for weeks and has stopped about two weeks ago. Last week she has started losing her feathers...A lot! She is completely bald underneath and there are feathers everywhere in the coup and garden. No other hens are showing signs of molting. Any suggestions what this could be? Or is it normal?! Iv had these hens for over 12 months with nothing like this happening before.

 

[sumi]

Welcome to BYC

I have a young first time mom currently raising her chicks (± month old) and she's molting too. I'm not sure when she started, but it was more than a week ago that I noticed a lot of feathers lying around the coop and she's been shedding them steadily since. The bare underside is normal with broody hens, nothing to worry about. They pluck those feathers themselves when they start sitting.

 

[write2caroline]

It would not hurt to offer her diatematious earth for dusting. If she has mights - it will help rid them and if not she will just enjoy it. Feather mites are not so small that you cannot see them. Look at the base of her feathers. You can dust the coop too and you can give her a warm bath in Dawn soap. My chickens did not really mind having a bath if the water was not running. They kind of liked it.

Caroline

 

[lynnmc]

Thankyou for your replies...il habe a good proper look to see if i can see any mites. Hopefully she will stop molting soon!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined us!

 

[wildlife2006]

Is she about a year and a half old? Our silver laced Wyandotte's first molt at a year and a half was rough (ended up looking fairly bald on her back and with no tail) and I think that's normal for their first one. They've been mild since then. It was when colder weather started coming in also that it happened.

 

[lynnmc]

Yes shes just about a yr and a half. Im sure its not mites and is just molting but just wanted to see what other people thought

 

[drumstick diva]