sneezes/pale comb/ molt....what's up????

[karri25]

OK, my girls have been recently molting. It started with almost no eggs and then I saw all of the missing feathers. Ok, they were molting that's what was up with the eggs.

Then, after it seemed most were laying again, they started slacking off a little again. We were at 6 eggs a day out of 8 hens now we are at 4 eggs a day. That in itself isn't a big deal to me b/c stuff happens but they have been sneezing lately. I added DE to the coop a few days ago but they were sneezing before that. I have been putting garlic and extra vitamins in their water and it seems like they are getting better. Now I have noticed that there are 3 girls with really pale combs. Is all of this b/c of molting or should I be worried?????

 

[speckledhen]

Well, molting will cause all sorts of things, like pale combs, weight loss, soft shelled eggs, etc. Sneezing can come from all sorts of environmental things, like chemical smells, dust, food and/or water getting in the nose accidentally, etc.

 

[karri25]

OK, then they are probably all right? I worry a lot and this is our first molt. I think everything is ok I just wanted to make sure.

 

[speckledhen]

I can't actually diagnose them and tell you for certain that they are okay, but I just don't want you to panic because they're sneezing a little bit. Is there a discharge from the nares(nostrils)? A tiny clear discharge even can sometimes just be water they drank too fast, etc, so even that isn't necessarily reason to panic, if it goes away.
Molting can deplete their reserves alot, especially if they continue to lay during the molt like one of my own hens did. Just keep doing what you're doing with fresh chopped garlic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and/or a good vitamin supplement, plus plain active culture yogurt, add chopped hardboiled eggs at least every couple of days, etc. Molt takes time, sometimes a very long time. A high quality feed plus extra protein and supplements will get them through it.

 

[karri25]

THanks Cynthia, I appreciate your help. You know I am always afraid thta something bad is going to happen to them

I didn't think about adding eggs. I'll strt thta today. Can you suggest any other ways to easily add protein?? I bought tuna thinking that was a great idea and then I read the thread on here about salt and I was like "DUH!" So now I'm stumped.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Karri...giving moist cat food (canned or dry) is good for them so is scrambling eggs....I also have fed mine canned tuna and although its been said no salt for chickens, just like overfeeding treats, a can of tuna during a molt does not hurt.....I think thats if fed into their diets alot...my opinions...