Need advice! Hen loosing feathers!

[emilyschartz21]

I have a white hen who is about a year and a half. Today she has lost quite a few feathers. She doesn't have any bald spots on her. Idk if she is molting or what? I haven't gotten any eggs lately but with the random weather changes it's been affecting them. She is still running around, jumping on my shoulder, eating, climbing all over everything etched. What's going on with her? Is there anything I should do? I'll attach some pictures

 

[emilyschartz21]

Here's the feather on the ground she lost

 

[theawesomechick]

She it probably molting. If she doesn't have any bald spots, chances are she's going to molt very carefully and take her time. Hens don't lay eggs when they molt, and this seems to be the time of year when molting starts. Just up the protein in the diet and she should be fine.

 

[emilyschartz21]

She it probably molting.  If she doesn't have any bald spots, chances are she's going to molt very carefully and take her time.  Hens don't lay eggs when they molt, and this seems to be the time of year when molting starts.  Just up the protein in the diet and she should be fine.

What should I do to up the protein? How long does it take to molt?

 

[theawesomechick]

It really depends. That looks like a white rock you have there, and I honestly don't know how long they take to molt. I'd say at least a month and maybe four months at most. Hopefully someone with white rocks and more experience will come up and give you a more specific time.

ETA: For protein, you can try cat food (don't feed too much!), mealworms, a bit of non-medicated chick starter, anything.

 

[emilyschartz21]

It really depends.  That looks like a white rock you have there, and I honestly don't know how long they take to molt.  I'd say at least a month and maybe four months at most.  Hopefully someone with white rocks and more experience will come up and give you a more specific time.

ETA:  For protein, you can try cat food (don't feed too much!), mealworms, a bit of non-medicated chick starter, anything.

Ok thanks for your help! I've never had a chicken molt before. Is there anything special I need to so for her besides more protein? I have two five month old ones too. Do I need to keep them away from her?

 

[theawesomechick]

A molt is absolutely nothing to stress over. Chances are, all of your hens will soon be going into molt, so you can wait until a few more start molting, then start feeding them high protein foods. I believe Nutrena has a feed specially for molting hens. As for the five month old ones, the extra protein shouldn't hurt, so you can keep all of the hens together. Are the five month old pullets laying yet? If so, I would keep a dish of oyster shell out for calcium.

 

[emilyschartz21]

Ok good to know. They won't attack each other if they get bald spots? My little ones aren't laying yet. I used to have a hen the same age as my older ones but she died from a heart attack or something. She started laying at 5 months so these ones could be close to starting.

 

[Micbike]

What does it mean if they have bald spots? I have two chickens with bald spots on their lower backs. The rest of them have what looks like loose feathers in the same area. What's going on?

 

[emilyschartz21]

What does it mean if they have bald spots? I have two chickens with bald spots on their lower backs. The rest of them have what looks like loose feathers in the same area. What's going on?

From what I've seen with mine they are either molting or I even had one pick the feathers off the other ones neck. I had one that got bored and pulled the feathers out.