Sick hen maybe?? Molting?? I just don't know!

[JensChickies]

My hen is 9 months old....I need to know if she molting or sick. She is dropping a ton of feathers, but I thought she was too young to go through a molt. She does have new feathers coming in, but I just don't know if this is suppose to happen this early. I have read and read and read that their first molt is at 18 months. She has laid one egg in the past 2 weeks.

My other thought is that she is sick. She's not eating real well and not drinking very much. I have been supplementing her food and water via tube. Can a hen not eating cause her to drop feathers??? I am leaning towards her being sick, due to how she is acting. I have her separated, she is pooping, comb/ wattles are red, crop is moving, no mites or anything, vent is normal, mouth is normal color. She's just not acting her obnoxious self.

Anybody have any ideas of what might be going on???? I just had one hen get sick and it was a month long process. Ultimately I ended up giving her baytril and she is better than what she was before. Before that I treated for coccidiosis just incase, then got her on baytril (it was seriously a month long process). But she is doing really well. Should I do the same for her?? Or is this some weird premature molting thing?

 

[Eggcessive]

I have read that some chickens will molt early. A broody hen may also molt after going broody. It's fairly normal for molting chickens to not eat as well, and act standoffish and under the weather. A probiotic nd vitamin in the water would be a good idea to help with immunity now. Here are a few good links about molting, and the first points out the part about early molters:
http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html
http://www.grit.com/animals/molting-what-is-it--how-to-help-chickens-get-through-it.aspx
http://www.nutrenaworld.com/knowledge-center/poultry/the-molting-process/index.jsp

 

[JensChickies]

I have read that some chickens will molt early.  A broody hen may also molt after going broody.  It's fairly normal for molting chickens to not eat as well, and act standoffish and under the weather.  A probiotic nd vitamin in the water would be a good idea to help with immunity now.  Here are a few good links about molting, and the first points out the part about early molters:
http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html
http://www.grit.com/animals/molting-what-is-it--how-to-help-chickens-get-through-it.aspx
http://www.nutrenaworld.com/knowledge-center/poultry/the-molting-process/index.jsp

Thank you. Do you think she is sick?? She is my most vocal chicken and she's quiet for her lol. Still let's me know what she's thinking, that's for sure. One time I was cleaning out her coop and she had to lay....she literally followed me around complaining at me until I was done. Lol....she lets me know how it should be. I just can't read this girl.