Molting?

[shondagreenjinx]

Hi. Sorry if this is long but I want to give as much information as possible. I have a friend that gave me a hen that was sitting on 24 eggs. She was our first chicken and we moved her at night with her eggs. Between June 28th and June 30th we hatched 15 sweet chicks! When we first got her she seemed thin so I have fed her chick starter. She has grown to a healthy weight and her feathers have gotten really pretty too. When the chicks were hatched we moved them and the hen into a run with a house so they would not fall out of the coop and have more room. We moved them at night as well. They have done very well I think and don't seem stressed. She and the chicks will spread out throughout the run most of the day. I checked her for mites ect. when we got her and again 2 days ago when I saw that there were several feathers on the ground in the coop. She has since lost many more. She's not looking "bald" yet but I want her happy Do you think it is just a natural molt or perhaps something else? Thank you for any advise!!!

 

[Den in Penn]

It sounds like a natural feather loss. Some times they just lose feathers because of stress or heat. So if you haven't found mites then its probably just a light molt or the start on the fall molt.

 

[shondagreenjinx]

That's a relief. I will keep an eye on her and see. Her appetite is normal and she is drinking fine too. Maybe she's stressed with 15 kids. I would be!!!