Chickens not eating not laying ??? molting???

[steve76]

Hi all
For the last 2 or 3 weeks my chickens started by not eating as much or scratching around just standing about all fluffed up, then they stopped laying and i have noticed a few more feathers around the pen then normal,   they now seem more active and have started to eat more in the last couple of day i am guessing they are molting???
  How long does this last and when should i expect them to start laying??
They are ex batts and i have had them since august last year, and the other day i had to buy eggs for the time since having them and they tasted horrible   missing my fresh eggs

Thanks all  Steve.

[Stedic]

Hi Steve,

My ex-batts decided to moult just when the temperature hit -14 - the idiots.

What you describe could be moulting, or could be something else.  When my five moulted it looked like I'd had a pillow fight in the run! Well, slight exageration but there were loads of feathers.  They shed feathers for about a week, and regrowing took about two weeks after that but they laid during that.  If you feed them lots of protein it'll help - handfuls of mealworms etc.

BUT - it might be worth ruling out any of the usual nasties - so treat them and their house for mites and lice, whether you see them or not.  And if I were you I'd treat them for worms too.

Don't worry - eggs will be plentiful soon!

[steve76]

thanks for the reply will go to the shop tomorrow and get lice and worming supplies

[Stedic]

No problem.

For worming I'd recommend either Flubenvet powder/pellets or the Verm-X range - and adding something to the flooring in their run to kill worm eggs.

For lice I'd recommend attacking the coop with poultry shield and diatom.  You then need to treat the girls with red mite and louse powder. We use Frontline - the cat flea treatment, its not licensed for poultry in the UK though.

My other big tip, is to register on the forums at omlet.co.uk - its the company that sell Eglu's etc but the forums are a great source of information and advice, regardless of what type of coop you have.  They have advice on products, health checks etc.

Hope they bounce back soon!  Our three ex-batts just destroyed my geraniums!

[julie24]

another good flea/lice treatment that i use is johnstons lice and flea spray for birds. you can get it at any pet shop for about £3 and it will last all year. it is very good as it kills on contact. check around their vents for nasty bugs and egg clusters, you can't miss them as they attach the eggs to the base of the feathers in white clumps.if it is this thats causing the problem the girls will respond within hours.

[steve76]

Thanks for your help   

[goodlife]

As your chickens are 'old' commercial stock..they would not have established proper 'life cycle' for the feathers yet..the life in 'factory' environment is so different to being in 'home'. It is quite possible them starting moulting this time of the year. Usually you would expect see moulting end of summer..but I suspect next year they will be moulting a bit later..
Previous recommendation for extra protein is correct..they will need it so they have the 'energy' to grow the new feathers..sooner the replacements have grown...sooner the laying comes back.
Although mealworms are not quite practical for chickens as protein as they would need to eat them quite a lot and it will lighten you wallet too.
Easiest way to provide extra protein is giving them some dog food..either moist can food in loaf form..no jelly, gravy or chicken...or..get some complete dog bisquits..something like lamb and rice or beef..soak them in boilded water until soft...they will love it!  Other than that you could dig some worms, collect some snails and crush the shells..chickens will sort the 'meat' out of shells.
Some years chickens only go through partial moult so there is not that many feathers about..and every so often they do it properly...now it is quite alarming site when they go through 'proper' moult..they do look like they've been prepared for a pot, but still alive 

[goodlife]

Something else to add too..
When the new feathers start growing..make sure your girls have plenty to do..give them all sort of interesting things in they pen to peck or inspect.  New feather 'tubes' look different and stand out of body..chickens always like to inspect anything 'different' by 'tasting/pecking' them. The tubes are very easily broken and they will bleed..so if your girls get into taste of blood they can develop into bad habit with feather pecking.
For same reason try keep handling of your girls to a minimum.
Bird vitamins for drinking water would not go a miss neither...

[steve76]

Thanks for the tips, will try the dog food on them tomorrow ..

[steve76]

Hi all
Update for you, I,m getting egg's again 
And they love the dog food they wait for it in the mornings, would it do any harm if i kept the dog food as part of there feeding routine now ? 
   I do get a strange look from my dog when he See's me mixing his food up then giving it to the chickens......

Thanks for all the help guys 

[Stedic]

Hi Steve,

Glad they're back to their normal selves again!

RE: Dog food - I don't think you'd do them too much harm, but I'd feed it as a treat now and then and do it in the afternoon - that way they won't fill up on it and ignore their pellets/crumbs.

I've been in my girls run all morning, ust found out we have 3 new ex-batts coming in two weeks, so am sectioning bits off.  They're currently playing swingball with two Aldi sweetcorns, they go crazy for it!  They'll easily strip both cobs within 20 minutes!

[sunloving]

Thanks goodlife for the dog food tip . One of my ladies after three weeks broody them started moulting so no eggs for ages but day two of soaked dog kibble and theres an egg for each hen every day!

Works a treat. Jake my collies quite jealous though and has to be shut in until theyve eaten it all and have a treat of his own!!
x sunloving

[goodlife]

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Jake my collies quite jealous though

... my dog was first baffled by it too.. But now she is used to it seing two bowl of bisquits soaking ..one for her, one for them..and one for OH.. ..err..thats three..