4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Adams Egg]

We have 3 hybrid hens, all pol in June 2008 and have all laid very well since then. One of them however has been a bit under the weather of late.

 

About 6 weeks ago she got at some standing water and drank some, this put her off colour for a few days, couple of softees then nothing for a couple of weeks then the a softee or two and back to normal.

 

Since the middle of last week she has gone back to laying softees and looking at times puffed and hunched but returns to normal, is feeding well and drinking, slightly more. I put it down to shock as it coincided with a football crashing against the run near to her, she took great exception and went off sulking and hunched. More softees have continued since then. I thought she had stopped laying but an almighty fight broke out this morning and I saw her running about with the remains of a softee in her beak and the others going completely mad.

 

Have given her a check over, she feels normal, no sign of lice but dusted anyway, have put poultry spice and yoghurt in the wiggly bokashi mash they have each morning and they only finished the flubenvet last week. There are new feathers emerging on the back of the neck so I am suspecting that a moult is under way, none of them have moulted before. Is this latest batch of softees, hunching and looser poo associated with a moult or is there an underlying condition or anything else to do?

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks

[Budgies]

Sorry to hear you're having these problems.

 

It does sound to me like she's undergoing a moult, which can play havoc with their egg-laying - it's meant to stop completely to allow them to moult, but they don't always stop! They can also feel rather under the weather when moulting!

 

I would be inclined to give her some Poultry Spice or similar in her porridge each day, and additional calcium and cod liver oil (vitamin d) supplementation whilst she moults.

 

Sounds like you're on top of things other than that, with the worming etc.

 

Good luck, I hope she starts to feel a bit better soon!