Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[Headchicken]

Relatively new at the whole chicken thing, over here (US) so I thought I'd come to the experts! One of my 5 RIR is loosing all of her feathers; she looks so sad I'm worried about her, so I picked her up to give her a thorough assessment. No lice or critters, lungs clear, no eye or nose discharge, wattles and comb red, comb upright, eyes bright. She's loosing feathers by the ton at this point. During my assessment I estimate she probably dropped 30 feathers! On her wings (elbow area) she appears to already have pin feathers about 1/2 inch long. Her crop is completely bare (but soft). She (and her sisters) are 17 almost 18 months old and have been laying for 1 year this July.

 

Is this a moult? Non of her sisters are showing signs yet...

 

Thank you for your time

Jen

[chickencam]

It could well be an early moult. they often lose quite a lot of feathers in their first year and then don't regrow them until the winter. If you have checked for mites etc and she seems well in herself I wouldn't worry. Maybe try a tonic of some kind in their drinking water. There is one available over here called Lifeguard which I use if mine seem a little run down, especially in the winter.

[Egluntyne]

If she is otherwise well, then it probably is a moult. It can be quite dramatic and alarming at times.

[Headchicken]

She's eating and drinking and her pin feathers are getting longer. She's bottom of the pecking order, so kind of timid anyway. I've been hand feeding her dried mealworms to get some extra protein to her (because the rest will bully her away if I just scatter the worms on the ground). Honestly, she looks so alarming that I wondered if she'd make it through the weekend! But, we just got home from the beach and she's still with us, looking no better, no worse! She was one of the first out of the pen to freerange, so definitely not feeling weak in my estimation. I hope it's just a moult-- a little out of time...

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't chickens supposed to moult around October or November? Is that when I should expect the rest of the girls to go ragged?

 

Thanks!