Pekin Hen Not Acting Right

[casportpony]

Cat food is good, but if she's really skinny I suspect that there could be something more serious than a molt. Molt is easy enough to check for, just inspect entire body for new feather growth.

 

[casportpony]

What number is she?

 

[chickens really]

Yes I think that was her issue all this time...She got run down during her moult...Why I asked for a picture of her....

 

[Vyctoria]

What number is she?

I'd say a 2. She used to be closer to a 4 before all of this.

 

[casportpony]

Maybe it is just from molt. Easy enough to figure out. Keep inside where it's warm and dry with plenty of high protein feed (crumbles, no scratch grans). Weigh when crop is empty, then weigh daily with empty crop. If still losing weight, or not gaining, it's not just from a hard molt. If gaining, it was molt.

 

[casportpony]

I'd say a 2. She used to be closer to a 4 before all of this.

Can you weigh her?

 

[chickens really]

This is how I feed my Ducks...Your choice..
I feed Duck finisher, Duck grower, classic scratch less corn and Oat and Barley crumble...I mix it all each day...During moult I toss out Dry cat food ..If laying eggs I supply oyster shell in a separate bowl...Can you get water fowl feed?...If only Chicken feed?...Use Grower not Starter and add water soluble vitamins .....

 

[Vyctoria]

Can you weigh her?

I hope I did it correctly, but I came up with 4 1/2 lbs. Half of what she should be.... I feel awful.

 

[casportpony]

I hope I did it correctly, but I came up with 4 1/2 lbs. Half of what she should be.... I feel awful.

Don't feel bad, it happens, and unless you weighed her before, you don't know what her weight was, right?

 

[Vyctoria]

Don't feel bad, it happens, and unless you weighed her before, you don't know what her weight was, right?

Correct. I'm just going off of previous body condition. After this, I might have to make an assessment of all of my ducks and get them weighed. I have such a hard time judging weight because I know that you're supposed to be looking at the breasts and the keel, but some of my older ducks also have what looks to me like loose fat between their legs. Primarily on my blue swedish hen and my cayuga drake. I feel like it gets in their way when they walk, which is why I cut back on feed, but I guess my Pekin suffered from that.

Also, she's been having normal bowel movements in between, but she often has these as well. It looks greenish in color.