Velvet Needs Help...Puzzler...Any Ideas? ***She's Dead****

[HenHaven]

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I'm so sorry you lost her. What a terrible year for you! I hope things turn around for you, soon.

 

[Livinzoo]

Wow Cyn, I am so sorry!!! I don't know what to say.

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks for all the condolences for Velvet. Crystal, you were here and saw how terrible her molt was. It's so hard on them and just exacerbates any issues they have. She was a funny girl, always acting goofy. No one else was like Velvet; she was a unique lady. Just hoping I dont lose anymore this year!

 

[jjthink]

I'll second that motion for you!
JJ

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Cyn, I know you've mentioned other hens having a hard time or even dying from molt related issues. I'm wondering, since I'm relatively new to chickens - What exactly is a molt and what signs of trouble should I look for? From what I've read it's when they shed some feathers (or a lot of feathers and have bare spots), supposedly a couple of times a year. But I've not seen any of my chickens molt - that I can tell. Am I missing something? Is it breed related or temp/geography related or age? Thanks for any help - I've been watching and waiting and concerned about something I've yet to see.

Monique

 

[speckledhen]

Molting is where they replace some or most of their feathers yearly. There may be a smaller molt during another part of the year, but I've seen my nine month olds and my 18-20 month old birds molt. Right now, Skye is completely bare around her middle and most of her bum. She's going to be two years old in April, I think. All birds molt, even wild ones. Lexie, my BR hen, had a terrible, long drawn-out molt because she kept laying and wouldnt quit. When she finally quit laying for two weeks, her feathers grew back fast. I could show you some awful pics of Lexie's.

 

[SpottedCrow]

My wild birds have been moulting for a couple of months now too...and Obelisk is still moulting...

In their first year, a chicken will moult 3 times.
Down to first feathers.
First feathers to teenaged feathers.
Teenaged feathers to adult colouring...
In my case, Obelisk's colour has changed since she was younger. She started out all black, the next year she had one white feather in her tail. The next year it was two splash feathers in her tail...and every year more white's shown up...This year she's even got splash feathers in her wings and her face feathers are getting white...

 

[hcammack]

I am so sorry about this lose this has not been a good year for you I hope it gets better.

Henry

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you, Henry. At least it's stuff I really had no control over, for whatever small comfort that's worth. I just dont want to lose anymore birds this year. Rosemary hasn't laid in about five or six months and I know all that stuff is building up in her body, so I'm betting I'll lose her by the end of the year. So far, she isn't losing weight, but it's only a matter of time.
On a brighter note, one of my big youngster group has laid three eggs and I got a brown pullet egg today that looked different from the ones Zoe has laid, so I think I have two of the 18 youngsters laying now. At least I think it's 18. Most of them look like they'll lay any day now.