Molting in Winter - Unhappy Cold Chicken

[Splendid Medley]

In northern CT we've had some rough weather lately. Single/negative digits overnight, teens in the day. The we had 40's and 50's with 3 inches of rain, then a drop to single digits., now in 20's. I don't heat the coup, and both run and coup are rcovered/roofed, and I keep both very dry. After the rain I raked out the entire floor of run and added straw and shavings, plus new bedding in coup. It's very dry.

I have a small flock of 1.5yr old 4 blk australorps. All the girls are well and going about their normal business, except Daisy. She didn't molt with the others this fall, and started a few weeks ago, bad timing. She has grown back a lot of her feathers, but still has a lot of pins left to grow. She was doing fine, but is very unhappy today - it's a change. She's active, but is shivering, and her comb is pale. She is eating and drinking normal. I bring them warm oats, scratch, etc, and warm water. Should I be worried about her?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wouldn't focus so much on the warm oats and scratch. That could be throwing off the nutrition. Upping the protein a little could help her regrow feathers. A little animal protein is best.
With her shivering, I'm thinking it may be best to bring her indoors for a while and you can make sure she gets the added protein. Temps should rebound in another week. Just make sure she is properly acclimated to the cold before you return her full time.

 

[Splendid Medley]

Thank you for replying- I'm considering bringing her in, but hmmm...for how long?!? I don't want to mess with her climate acclimation unless totally needed. Also eating ground beef and quinoa.

Here's what I decided to do....let me know if you think its pointless...I made her a warming basket. Old basket+old towel+straw under it+microwaveable rice pouch (the diy kind made of cotton and felt) at the bottom. She resisted at first, but once I put it on my lap she sat for 10 minutes. I took the pouch inside with me once she hopped back out (bc it would freeze) but left the basket and straw and towel in run. She's sitting now. Hopefully that helps her feel better.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Once you bring her in you'll need to wait till temperatures rebound or she regrows enough feathers. Even then she would be helped by putting her in a space with intermediate temperatures for a couple days.

 

[Trish1974]

I had to bring in a molting hen a couple weeks ago, when temps were well below zero at night and single digits during the day. She was also shivering, but what alarmed me most was that she had stopped drinking. I put her in a dog crate in my utility room and shut the heat off to that room so the temperature change wasn't extreme. It stayed right around 50 degrees in there. I waited a week for the temperature to get back up to freezing, then that morning I was going to put her back in the coop I opened the window in the utility room and got it down to only a 15 degree temperature difference between the room and outside. The transition worked out well.
Its good your hen still eating and drinking. I've noticed all my molting hens get dehydrated looking combs, so I wouldn't worry about that unless its turning blue. If you do bring her in maybe pick a room you can turn the heat off to so the temperature differences aren't too extreme. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Splendid Medley]

Thanks- Yes, I'm glad she's still drinking/eating. I'm watching her on that specifically... an update: She liked the silly basket. The girls typically roost and preen in the run before going in at night, and after they eat. I went back out with the heated pack for her basket then, and she sat for a few minutes, but was the first one inside. I just went out to close their door. Daisy is snuggled in a nesting box below the two head-haunchos who roost on top of the nesting boxes rather than on the post. They have their breasts up against her like she's an egg. They must know she's cold (Awwww ).