My girls have been molting for a year!!!!

[Bideawhile]

This is my first experience with chickens. I love my girls....7 Buff Orpingtons. They began molting last August and haven't stopped. They look terrible. I've checked for mites....no signs. They eat well but their laying has diminished to about one or two eggs a day. THEN last week one of the girls lost the colour in her comb and began to fail. We lost her two days later.

Any advice ?? Thank you so much for all of your GREAT posts!!

 

[danielle82]

did you check for mites around the vent area? Also if you post in the "emergencies" section I think you'd get more responses

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

If you haven't treated for lice/mites, you might want to try that. They may be present but just difficult to see. Also, have you ever wormed them? Feather loss, decreased egg production, general unthriftiness, and death can be caused byexternal as well as internal parasites if left untreated.

 

[thekid]

i say its the darn heat

 

[Bideawhile]

Thank you so much! I have checked the vent area and can't see any mites. It's easy because there are no feathers there. I'm off to the store to get meds for lice/mites and parasites. I'm going to add diatamacious earth to their feed to kill internal parasites. Thanks again for your help!!

 

[PAchickenlover]

The DE only does so much... Ivermectin works good... It says its for cattle but you only use a few drops.

 

[Kitty Cat]

One of my hens did this as well, I think however it was closer to 2 yrs that she was like that. I separated her and gave her foods rich in vitamin a and e, both good for new feather growth. She started to get better and grow her new feathers. I would do the wormer, and the mite treatment like you plan. But I would also give them a boost of vitamin a and e just to help out. You can google "foods rich in vitamin a and e" and get pretty good listings.

Good luck!

 

[Bideawhile]

I'm so pleased with your responses! Don't you just love this community! WOO HOO!!

 

[Jackie B.]

You may want to worm them as well. Also, what kind of feed do you give them? Heavy on treats or 'extras'?

 

[Yay Chicks!]

They may also need increased protein to help grow those feathers back.

While a few people use DE because they believe it prevents worms, many others are adamant that it does not. This is because is it doubtful that DE would work as intended in a wet environment. You could take a poop sample to your vet to check for internal parasites prior to worming.

Good luck!