I am fairly new to chickens, we have had our urban hens for two years now. Today we dipped everyone's legs in oil to treat a suspected scaly leg mite infestation. While handling the hens I noticed that several seemed to be quite thin, with prominent breast bones. One hen has a fairly bare stomach area and it is quite red, she is also one of the thinnest hens. We had some crazy weather a week ago with a large amount of snow, then an ice storm and now lots of rain. The hens have a good quality free choice layer pellet in their coop and also have a large fenced area in their back yard where they have access to grass. I also let them loose in our main yard occasionally.
I am primarily concerned with the thin hens. All the hens are 2yo or less and egg production has dropped off since the bad weather as well. I have never treated them for worms, but have never seen worms in their poop.
Thanks for any advice.
I am primarily concerned with the thin hens. All the hens are 2yo or less and egg production has dropped off since the bad weather as well. I have never treated them for worms, but have never seen worms in their poop.
Thanks for any advice.