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

[iar fach goch]

Our two original girls have been looking really scruffy for the past couple of weeks, their feathers are really tatty. We have had them since July when they were purchased as POL, as yet they have not had a moult, are they due to have one? They don't seem to be losing any feathers, they just look that they could really do with a new coat! As I have no experience of a moult, when do they? how often? and is there anything I should expect apart from feather loss? They both appear perfectly healthy, are laying regularly, no sign of any nasties. All ideas appreciated, thanks.

[smithy36]

i assume that you have wormed, liced and red mited them to be sure? Also some live nat yog and a tonic such as poultry spice or Battles might perk them up. As to the moult ...an expert will be along soon, but i thought it was more likely to be Autumn for that to start?!

 

Hope that they perk up soon

[feemcg]

My KT was broody a couple of weeks ago and looked a bit thin afterwards, she's since started to moult and looking even worse, very scraggy and light as a feather ( ) when I pick her up. She's been wormed and checked for lice. It's not a feathers all over the run kind of moult, more of a mini-moult they sometimes have.

[Budgies]

Generally they tend to moult as we go into Autumn rather than in Spring. That said my two were a bit random in when they chose to moult!

 

If they're looking tatty and you haven't done it, I'd definitely treat them for lice/mites. Ragged greasy looking feathers may be a sign that they've got beasties.

 

Feemcg it sounds as though the loss of condition that a broody suffers has brought on the moult. I would recommend giving her plenty of tlc and feeding up as they're much more vulnerable to other problems when they're underweight and moulting.

[iar fach goch]

Girls have been wormed about 6 weeks ago and are given a regular dusting with lice powder as a precaution, nothing visible on them, given poultry spice with food. Have also been giving them limestone flour as one was laying softees about a month ago. As mentioned have no health worries, are happy hens, just looking really tatty as if their feathers are worn out. (Comparable to someone who has bleached/straightened/blow dried hair too often and in desperate need of a trim!)