Molting

[Jams61]

I have 20 hens that have been molting for a year now! Is this normal? Can I do something to help them through this?

 

[eKo_birdies]

are you sure they are molting?? are they laying at all? that just seems very strange.... almost like there is something else going on. are you able to post pics of the birds?

sorry i can't be of more help right off the bat... but,

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC. 20 hens molting for a year....No, that is not normal. You need to visually inspect each chicken for lice/mites. If you see any, use sevin dust to kill them and dust their house,roosts and nests. Redust everything in 10-14 days, including the chickens to kill any eggs that have hatched since the first dusting. Good luck.

 

[Jams61]

OK I have inspected the hens pretty good. The rooster started losing feathers around his neck about a month ago I see no lice or mites the hens seem to be laying pretty good now 9 to 12 eggs a day was 4 to 6 eggs for along time. I have hens with no feathers on their back, bald spots, lost feathers on their wings, and feather ends where their trying grow or broken off. I have seen hens pulling feathers out of others. I'm lost for ideals?

Their Cherry Eggers

 

[dawg53]

AHAH!!!! You never said you had a rooster! That's why some of your hens are going bald...your rooster is over mating with them and causing the constant feather loss. Also, if your hens are picking feathers they are lacking something in their diet. I have my hens on layer crumbles with 16% protein. I also provide them with crushed oyster shell (calcium) for the shells. You can give your hens plain yogurt (probiotic) with boiled eggs (extra protein) mixed in their feed to make a mash and give it to them to eat. Feed them this for several days and that should stop picking. Also it could be that they are overcrowded in the pen, this will cause feather picking/pecking and fighting. Maybe you need to expand your coop/pen. You're going to have to seperate your rooster to give ample time for your hens to heal....or you can purchase chicken saddles or aprons to protect your hens. That could be expensive for you so it might be easier to seperate your rooster. It's most likely your hens wont get their feathers back til they actually do complete a moult. Your rooster is the culprit, he was stressing the hens badly and egg production slowed dramatically. Hope this helps.

 

[Jams61]

OK I can look into that Thanks One question why would my rooster start losing feathers around his neck? Would this be a moult?

 

[dawg53]

Yes, most likely your roo is in moult, half my chickens are in moult right now. They normally start losing their feathers at the back of the head and working its way down, but it could start elsewhere. I've had chickens in mini moults that only lost their tail feathers, funny looking lol.