my RIR has already molted a while back. her feathers have come in great. she is two. she is losing some color and is skinny. also...she is losing feathers on the underside of her. at the start of the breast. any ideas? a few spots are bare! she seems to be eating and i know she is still laying., HELP please!!!
Due to the combination of feather and weight loss, I would be checking for lice and mites as well, and would also be concerned about worms. Each of these can cause weight loss and poor conditioning. Here is an article that discusses how to check for lice and mites, and how to tell the difference between them. http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html If they do not have lice or mites and you have never wormed your chickens, you can either have a fecal float done by a vet (fecal test to check for the presence of worms) or just worm them. If you decide to worm, others on here can give you advice on the best product to use. Here is an article about feather loss in chickens. http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/27_2704.htm
thanks for all the info. the other 7 chix are good. i might have quesitons about worming. i have never given them anything!!! i try to stay as natural as possible. thanks again!!!
