Not eating, No eggs, now loosing feathers

[teafree]

My two hens are nine months old, they are bard Plymouth rocks and they were laying nicely- one egg each a day. I stopped letting them have the run of the back yard about two weeks ago and made them a nice sized run behind some camellia bushes. Just before I moved them they were laying less, about one egg each every other day. For the last week they are eating very little food- the same food they had before and no eggs since last saturday... today is Thursday. They look fine except they are starting to loose feathers... They seem too young to molt, but maybe the molting is because they are not eating? The last two days it occurred to me to throw the uneaten food into the run and they are now eating it!! I don't think they are sick, but have no idea what is going on.. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Judy]

I'd say molting is the most likely with the feather loss. Fewer eggs are usually from molting and shorter days and cooler weather (you didn't say where you are.) Some chickens seem to feel worse than others when they molt, for example, a formerly friendly chicken might get peckish and not want to be touched or near people. I've read on here of diarrhea and weight loss going along with it. You might also examine them closely for lice/mites, at night, or just treat prophylactically. The eating in the run makes me wonder if there are lice/mites in the coop, or someone else, of course. Of course chickens always seem to prefer eating off the ground.