Molting for weeks is she sick? If so, what could it be?

[BarneyNCyndi]

Hello,

Our girl, Lacey is a 18mo old welsummer. Started molting abound a year old when we brought home two new chicks and she went broody. We bathed her cold water daily to break her broody behavior; good thing it was summer. Fast forward to September and i notice our boss hen (Barred Rock) started molting and that lasted about 3-4wks. Now Lacey, has been sheeding feathers in gobs. Yesterday, our neighbor observed her stumbling and staggering - she sent me a video We had snow and wind yesterday too. Poof, we have an indoor chicken as soon as I got home (after dark). We found her on the roost in the coop. She wasn’t happy about being moved but we are bigger than her. When I held her in a towel, I could feed the spikes of new feathers. She seems lethargic but has toppled her food. Poop looks normal formed with a white cap. We suppliment our girls diet with mealworms and brought home some feather fixer feed. We are due to start our deworming between Thanksgiving to the first part of December. Good time because I usually end up buying eggs anyway.

Can you think of something that could be making her sick? This is a few days after halloween so, I was wondering could chocolate? We know it is on the no no list. But we did have tick or treater and something could have fallen out of a bucket.

Sorry, i tried to share video but cant upload it.

 

[azygous]

You need first to post the video on Youtube, then copy the URL and paste it in your post. It then appears like magic when you post your reply. Easier than it sounds.

Yes, your Lacey is feeling very under-the-weather. If she had been molting before this, it wasn't the real thing. This is.

Molt can make a hen miserable to the point they behave as if they're being utterly crushed by life. (Sounds familiar) They lose weight and don't want to be touched. A normally cuddly chicken is suddenly (DON"T COME NEAR ME!) I have a flock of them right now.

Keep doing what you've started. Just don't ferment that Feather Fixer. The smell is dreadful.