Hi there,
Do different hens moult differently? I have 3 barred rocks that are 3 years old. One was attacked by a coyote a year and a half ago and nearly died, but we stitched her up and provided intense medical care and she lived! Although she lays eggs again, she really hasn't been "right" since the attack. Her eggs are often defective in a variety of ways and she's scared me a couple of times with possibilities of being egg bound, but she's always pulled through. Right after she grew her feathers back from the attack and started laying again, she went through a heavy moult--in the dead of winter. Since then, she has moulted two more times, and each time, she loses most of her feathers and then grows them back. She acts pitiful and hides in the coop for weeks. Her two sisters that we got at the same time have never once moulted like this. They do lose some feathers and then nice new ones grow back, and we can see they are about 50/50 with new and old feathers, but never the massive nearly-bald feather drop of the first hen. Did her injury somehow traumatize her into repeated moultings? Do different hens--even the same type and age--moult this differently? The poor thing has been through so much and I'd like to help her have a more comfortable life. Is there anything I can do for her besides provide extra protein and a safe space to get away from her sisters (they aren't nice to her when she's not laying.)
Do different hens moult differently? I have 3 barred rocks that are 3 years old. One was attacked by a coyote a year and a half ago and nearly died, but we stitched her up and provided intense medical care and she lived! Although she lays eggs again, she really hasn't been "right" since the attack. Her eggs are often defective in a variety of ways and she's scared me a couple of times with possibilities of being egg bound, but she's always pulled through. Right after she grew her feathers back from the attack and started laying again, she went through a heavy moult--in the dead of winter. Since then, she has moulted two more times, and each time, she loses most of her feathers and then grows them back. She acts pitiful and hides in the coop for weeks. Her two sisters that we got at the same time have never once moulted like this. They do lose some feathers and then nice new ones grow back, and we can see they are about 50/50 with new and old feathers, but never the massive nearly-bald feather drop of the first hen. Did her injury somehow traumatize her into repeated moultings? Do different hens--even the same type and age--moult this differently? The poor thing has been through so much and I'd like to help her have a more comfortable life. Is there anything I can do for her besides provide extra protein and a safe space to get away from her sisters (they aren't nice to her when she's not laying.)
