Not Urgent: Late Molter Needs To Go Back Outside

[Gigi_The_Chicken]

I have one chicken, Gigi, who is molting late. She was doing okay until a few days ago when I saw her crouching on the roost looking awful. She looked skinnier than normal and her crop was empty, so I decided to check on her again in the morning. When I got there she was in a corner crouching and still looking terrible, so we decided to bring her inside. It’s been a couple days in the basement, and she’s eating and looks better, but it’s in the teens outside and only going to get colder. When/How should I put her back in the coop?

 

[azygous]

What was the temperature in the basement?

How many days was she there?

What is the temperature in the coop at night?

If the temperature spread was over ten degrees between coop and basement, and she was there for three or more days, she will need gradual acclimatizing to cooler temps. You can achieve that by letting her spend a couple days out in her run with the others and a couple more nights in the basement.

Don't put her back out until you know she is consuming a normal amount of calories. During molt, it's the extra calories that keeps a chicken warm.

 

[Gigi_The_Chicken]

What was the temperature in the basement?

How many days was she there?

What is the temperature in the coop at night?

If the temperature spread was over ten degrees between coop and basement, and she was there for three or more days, she will need gradual acclimatizing to cooler temps. You can achieve that by letting her spend a couple days out in her run with the others and a couple more nights in the basement.

Don't put her back out until you know she is consuming a normal amount of calories. During molt, it's the extra calories that keeps a chicken warm.

I don’t know the exact temperatures, but the basement is around 40 degrees and the coop is about 25-ish. She’s been inside for 1 1/2 days.

 

[Tonyroo]

Remember not to let her sleep out in the coop if she still have exposed skin. She won't be able to stay warm.

 

[azygous]

That's not a real drastic temperature spread. She should be okay as long as she can sandwich between two other agreeable and cooperative hens for warmth. It would still be a good idea to give her a day or two outside before moving her back to the coop to sleep.

I take it you don't have electricity to your coop? A little heat wouldn't hurt to bring the temp up to at least a degree above freezing.

 

[Gigi_The_Chicken]

That's not a real drastic temperature spread. She should be okay as long as she can sandwich between two other agreeable and cooperative hens for warmth. It would still be a good idea to give her a day or two outside before moving her back to the coop to sleep.

I take it you don't have electricity to your coop? A little heat wouldn't hurt to bring the temp up to at least a degree above freezing.

We have three heaters in our coop, it just gets really cold where we live.

 

[azygous]

All a molting hen needs is for the coop temp to stay just above freezing, and as long as she consumes enough calories, she will keep herself warm.

 

[Gigi_The_Chicken]

All a molting hen needs is for the coop temp to stay just above freezing, and as long as she consumes enough calories, she will keep herself warm.

Thanks for the advice! I guess I’ll have to have all my heaters on high for a while, but it’s worth it for the girls’ well-being.