Never-ending Molt????

[sab]

Have any of you had a chicken molt and never fully recover? As my girl had a very bad molting - as in a walking rotisserie chicken. Now she is feathered but not fully. Tail didn't come back - few wing feathers. Her face is normal and her comb is bright red. I don't think she is laying. I haven't found her in a nest yet and I have cameras on the nests. Do we just have to wait till the next molt to have her body re-set? Anyone??? Thanks in advance.

 

[centrarchid]

Show a current picture of her. What is she being fed? Free-range or confined?

 

[sab]

I'll take a picture tomorrow. She's a Silver Wyandotte. Her feed hasn't changed. She free ranges when I'm home and can keep an eye on them. I will take a picture.

 

[centrarchid]

What kind of feed? Protein content and brand. Free-range can compensate within limits.

 

[sab]

I used Country Roads Chicken crumbles from Rural King with 16% protein. http://www.ruralking.com/agricultur...d-layer-crumbles-feed-16-hens-50-lb-2492.html Here is a photo of her taken this AM.

 

[centrarchid]

Something is not right with her if other birds thriving. Isolate her and if possible get her up and off the ground. Increase protein intake to between 18 and 20% for a short period.

How does her weight feel?

Have you ever had experience with worms or mites?

 

[sab]

No mites. I'm pretty good at putting DE in the nest boxes and around the coop. I've not seen any evidence of worms and I do monitor poo. Been thinking that during the fall molting I would de-worm the whole flock. There's 26 girls. None of them are doing this. I also add organic vinegar to their water. She went naked in a molt this last winter and the feathering just stopped at this point. She acts normal. They are given vegetable scraps from a local cafe. They get out to free range often. If others were doing this I'd really be worried. I will increase protein. Don't know that isolation is necessary. She's been this way since Jan when the flock began laying again. I really appreciate all your suggestions and ideas!! It's a puzzle.

 

[centrarchid]

Condition of feathers on wings indicates something chronically wrong with her. Worms can reinfect and not all birds impacted the same.


Isolation will enable you to better characterize how she is doing and if she is laying or not. Nothing about her indicates she is thrifty or thriving,this includes comb color unless she is in lay.

 

[sab]

I will isolate today and deworm her.

 

[centrarchid]

Inspect feces closely after dewormer applied.