Sunken breasts

[mchickies]

Haha! A fellow poo inspector! I'm not squeamish either but you should see the looks I get when I try to talk about poo and health! all around!

 

[3KillerBs]

There is feed left most days after all of them are done eating. The wild themes get to it when they come thru

It's not natural for chickens to eat meals a few times a day.

Their natural pattern is to eat a bit, retreat to a safe place to digest, eat a bit, retreat to a safe place to digest, eat a bit, retreat to a safe place to digest, and so on many times during the day.

Is there no way to provide feed throughout the entire day in a place where wild animals can't access it?

 

[mchickies]

If your hen is molting, unlimited feed is the way to go, as 3KillerBs is suggesting. I keep my feeder in the coop during the day/night and the hens know to go and eat it if they want. I bring it out into the open in the evening for the flock to really fill up before bedtime. After they're done, I put it back into the coop for them to eat in the morning before I let them out. That way, the birds and squirrels stay away as they don't generally like to go into the coop. Just a note.

 

[Greta A]

Haha! A fellow poo inspector! I'm not squeamish either but you should see the looks I get when I try to talk about poo and health! all around!

I have taken a lot of poo to the vet to test. Lol not chicken though.

 

[Greta A]

It's not natural for chickens to eat meals a few times a day.

Their natural pattern is to eat a bit, retreat to a safe place to digest, eat a bit, retreat to a safe place to digest, eat a bit, retreat to a safe place to digest, and so on many times during the day.

Is there no way to provide feed throughout the entire day in a place where wild animals can't access it?

My chickens roam free. I only lock the door at night. They eat all day just not grain

 

[mchickies]

My chickens roam free. I only lock the door at night. They eat all day just not grain

Mine free-range as well! They love all of their greens 'n bugs, so your hen has plenty opportunity to eat! Most of my hens are in a molt at this moment and two of them are the lowest in the pecking order. Both of them had empty crops (despite foraging all day) and they were already going up on their perch for the night. We quickly made them both a scrambled egg (one each) with some cheese on top (extra fat ) and they gobbled them up. They've gone to sleep with full crops.

I don't know how low in the pecking order your hen is, but the problem could be that she's getting bullied out of her feed. She appears to be a Buff Orpington and, if you have a mixed flock, the Orpingtons tend to get bullied because they're more mild mannered than other breeds...despite their size. You won't really know unless you check her crop at night, though. Watching her eat really isn't enough because I've been fooled so many times into thinking a hen ate more than she did. Like, I literally just got fooled today with my two molting hens .

I hope some of these suggestions from the members end up helping . I know how frustrating it can be! My chickies are really my pets so it always feels like an uphill battle with one thing or another. Any questions at all, don't be afraid to ask!

 

[SourRoses]

My chickens roam free. I only lock the door at night. They eat all day just not grain

Sorry, that's not the same thing.
A proper Chicken Feed is formulated to meet their nutritional needs.
Forage is anyone's guess what they are actually getting out of it.
My birds range all day but most everything they forage I would call a treat. Instead of eating grass salad, they go for the seeds on the grass.

When birds are molting (as yours is) they need more than the minimum protein available in Layer feed. Combined with the infrequent meals and forage, the protein yours are getting is probably less than 16%.
You should aim for 20% protein to help her regrow her feathers. And you should make food available all day.
Without addressing the nutritional root of the problem, your hen won't complete her molt and get back to regular laying for you.

P.S.
Fatty foods are not a good idea - neither feathers or breast muscle are made of fat. Excess fat fills the abdominal cavity especially around the reproductive organs and can lead to egg laying problems.

 

[3KillerBs]

My chickens roam free. I only lock the door at night. They eat all day just not grain

Does your environment support a year-round flock of feral chickens?

If not, the chances are that environment can't provide more than a moderate supplement to their diet.

Balanced commercial feed =/= grain.

The poor condition of your bird as shown by the loss of muscle mass in her breast is consistent with her being unable to get proper nutrition for whatever reason that is. Try a month with constant access to 20% commercial feed and then, if you don't see an improvement, you'll know that there's something more complicated happening.

 

[Greta A]

Does your environment support a year-round flock of feral chickens?

If not, the chances are that environment can't provide more than a moderate supplement to their diet.

Balanced commercial feed =/= grain.

The poor condition of your bird as shown by the loss of muscle mass in her breast is consistent with her being unable to get proper nutrition for whatever reason that is. Try a month with constant access to 20% commercial feed and then, if you don't see an improvement, you'll know that there's something more complicated happening.

Yes my place supports the birds. They have always been healthy all year round . This is the first time I have had an issue with a bird . I have a four year old hen that had given me a very large egg every day for 4 years and has just started to drop down to 5-6 times a week I expected her to reduce egg laying years ago.

As for overnight feeding. They have spinach, broccoli, curly dock, and oregano all growing in there sleeping area. They do not go hungry.

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes my place supports the birds. They have always been healthy all year round . This is the first time I have had an issue with a bird . I have a four year old hen that had given me a very large egg every day for 4 years and has just started to drop down to 5-6 times a week I expected her to reduce egg laying years ago.

As for overnight feeding. They have spinach, broccoli, curly dock, and oregano all growing in there sleeping area. They do not go hungry.

None of which provide the protein that a molting bird requires.

You are describing a condition 1 bird -- seriously undernourished. She needs protein.