My Hen is Walking Backwards

[lazy gardener]

They are RIR (Rhode Island Reds) I did go to the Royal King and picked up some hanging treats, meal worms, vitamins for water, electrolyte, life-lytes mega tab vit/supplement for poultry. Maybe I am going overboard but I have 2 water bowls one with the vitamins and other plain. I have never seen her so bare (moulting) then right now and about 19 degrees tonight. I ordered her a apron cover but will take 2 days to get here. They have a coop with blankets on top of roof. What else can I do?

I had a RIR that would molt in the coldest part of every winter. We had weeks on end when the temp was below 0*F. She looked like she belonged in the poultry case at my local Hannaford store. In spite of the cold and her nakedness, she came through molt just fine. They are far more resilient than we give them credit for. Do you have plenty of bedding in your coop? You could bank around it with bags of leaves or hay bales.

 

[ezicash]

They already are getting scratch grain plus another dish with organic feed plus I give them corn but they wont eat the corn, I give them bread and they wont eat bread, banana but they won't eat banana...very fussy eaters.

 

[ezicash]

I already surround their coop with bales of hay and on top of coop is a sleeping bag and then a blanket and plenty of hay in coop.
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[lazy gardener]

Even bigger an issue of heat is ventilation. What are your openings in the coop to provide for that? They need ventilation even in winter cold.

 

[ezicash]

the slide door is left open so they do have ventilation. The door below which is all cloth fencing is the one that is closed and locked.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Today was the first time I have ever seen my chicken walk backwards - she is molting very bad for the first time in 2 years and I am worried. What can I do?

Quote: X2 on what @lazy gardener has suggested. I saw your post on the molting thread. Give her some extra vitamins. Poultry Nutri-Drench is very good. Also offer her more protein while she is in molt. A good way to do this since it looks like you are trying to feed more organic is to give her a hard boiled egg.

 

[ezicash]

I just ordered nutri-drench from amazon so in 2 days I will be able to start. Do I need to put her in my home because it is so cold outside?

 

[lazy gardener]

I just ordered nutri-drench from amazon so in 2 days I will be able to start. Do I need to put her in my home because it is so cold outside?

No. moving her into the house would be detrimental to her.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree!

 

[ezicash]

Thanks for your help. My other RIR is now molting so I have 2 birds in the middle of winter with no feathers...OH MY