kannie Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 Maisy has very suddenly started dropping her feathers: I had her out yesterday and she wasn't moulting at all - then a few minutes later there were 5 feathers at her feet in an instant! Loads more this morning. I wasn't surprised though as I'd noticed a collection of symptoms during the last week: she stopped laying, became very flitty and jumpy in the garden, lost interest in grapes, and her comb shrunk!!! So I thought there was something going on... I think Matilda's about to start moulting too: she's stopped laying and gone quiet - both of which are quite amazing for Matilda! Its almost like they've regressed and become a bit more pullet-like again. I know they say that the egg-laying stops so that the body can concentrate on feather production, but it seems to me like more than that - quite hormonally linked. What do you think? Have you noticed other symptoms & changes alongside the moult? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 That's interesting Christine. I've only really had mini-partial moults so far and the only real changes that I noticed was in a straggly appearance and lack of eggs. That said Phil is indulging in a full blown moult now.... she looks so pathetic with feathers falling off her wherever she goes She stopped laying about a week before her moult started and did seem slower than usual to get to the treats, but she is very skittish at the best of times and the lowest in the pecking order, so I didn't really pay much attention. I've not noticed any changes in the comb..... but I've not really looked at it properly. I'll check her out later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted September 29, 2006 Author Share Posted September 29, 2006 Yes Matilda's comb's still the same - but then she's still not moulting yet. I guess it's bound to be a bit different for each hen, but it'd be interesting to see if there were other common eggopausal symptoms, apart from the not laying and feather moulting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 My five moulters have shrunken, pale combs and faces. They definately have less energy as well, prefering to laze about most of the day rather than do the usual stuff. Tilly's face in particular is very pale, at the beginning of the week it was looking grey. Thankfully some of the pinkness has returned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lera Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Ms Grey was the first of my hens to go into a moult. After a few days or so into the moult she contracted some sort of infection in her crop / and or digestive system, and despite antibiotics, died. I had noticed that she was off colour, but had assumed that this was a result of the moult until she was really ill. She'd also been thin beforehand, having had a broody period in both July and August, and the vet thought it was possible that something else was wrong with her too. So not to scare you too much - but just to suggest that you keep an eye on your moulting hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted October 1, 2006 Author Share Posted October 1, 2006 Yes - I'm quite worried about Maisy. She's so small and thin, and doesn't seem to be eating much. Her feathers are falling out really quickly, and she already has several bare patches. I've just let them out to free-range, and she's obviously really anxious: keeps having bouts of 'crowing', which is really unlike her. At first I thought she was scared to flap down off the window sill, with her depleted wings and absent tail, but having lifted her down she's now gone back up again! How long will this last? Will she loose all her feathers before the new ones come through? I afraid she'll get really cold when the temperature drops next week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Moulting can last from between a few weeks and a few months. Growing new feathers takes a lot of energy. Feathers are mostly protein so I am giving my hens extra protein at the moment. Scrambled egg and mealworms are a favourite with mine. I'm also adding poultry spice to their feed and sprinkled on top of the scrambled egg. Some people feed Tuna (in springwater not brine). I've never seen a bare hen before as mine seem to replace the feathers with new ones quite quickly, maybe the extra protein is working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted October 1, 2006 Author Share Posted October 1, 2006 Thanks! I'm off to see if we've some appropriate tuna in the cupboard. I think she'll be happier back in the run with some foodie treats, rather than feeling vulnerable in the wider garden at the moment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
