[henamoured]

Hi All
My 1 year old RIR has been moulting heavily for the last 2 weeks. She's gots lots of bare patches and is still loosing feathers. I can see the new growth as well.
I thought she was coping okay for the first week. This last week she's been miserable, tail (what's left of it) down, eating much less than normal, lots of standing around and rests during the day. I've been giving her some extras - pellet porridge, oat porridge with poultry spice, bit of tuna, bit of bread, vit drops in water - to try to keep her weight up and help her through the moult.
Today when she came out of the coop she could barely stand, flopping down and sitting most of the time. When she did walk she seemed to have a limp. Her poos are watery and have been greenish which I put down to eating less.
I brought her in, put her in a dark box on a hot water bottle and got a 7 day course of Baytril from the vet. She stayed in all afternoon and seemed a bit better when I let her out for 10 minutes with her best friend (who's been whining without her and is also moulting).
Any ideas of anything more I should/could be doing to help her?
I'm scared the stress of the moult might have made her develop Marek's, which she was exposed to in the Spring (her hatch mate died of it at POL). Does anyone know if this is a possibility?
She's my favourite hen who's TOPO and normally so full of life and gusto.

[bantam novice]

Sorry to hear about your hen     I think hens do feel under the weather when  they are moulting and she may perk up when the feathers grow back.

 I'm sure someone more expereinced will be along with more suggestions; in the meantime Good Luck 

[compostqueen]

A bit of dry weather and sunshine is what she could do with so fingers crossed.  It can really take it out of them but ensuring access to good food, plenty of fresh water, greens and all the stuff you mention, and some exercise on the lawn is all you can do really.  Dark green veg such as kale, savoy and broc contains good calcium for her so make sure she eats her greens.

[henamoured]

Thanks BN and CQ - I'll even chop some cabbage finely for her tomorrow so she doesn't have to peck it!
Just going to warm her hot water bottle again before I go to bed. Hope she's still here in the morning.
Any thoughts on the Mareks anyone?

[wolverine]

I'm having a similar problem with one of mine she just isn't herself I hope it's just grumpyness because of the moult and nothing more serious it's my first moult so I'm not sure if I'm overeacting or overlooking something and putting it down to a moult. one thing for sure if she acted like this and wasn't moulting we would have been at the vets by now.

[henamoured]

Hi Wolverine - has your moulting hen got a limp too as well as all the other miserableness symptoms? That's the thing I'm really worried about with mine.
I was actually on to the vet yesterday - but as ever she wasn't a poultry one so just suggested antibiotics to rule out any infection.
To update - my hen looked veru ropey first thing this morning, but I've let her out now so she can be reunited with her friend for a bit. It's funny/pathetic how they struggle to lose the limp as soon as they are in front of another hen. Going to bring her in for an afternoon 'nap' later.

[compostqueen]

They can suffer from vitamin deficiency during a moult if they're losing a lot of feathers, as they use calories just to keep warm.  You can get limestone flour from the horsey shop which you can add a small amount to the hen's food, not too much mind!  I grow cima di rapa (a broc type veg) for my hens which is very high in calcium, it tends to run to seed but the hens don't mind. You can eat it too    They love savoys, kales and brocs and will happily peck at cabbage all day.  If you only have a few hens you can quarter the cabbage and leave it with them for them to peck at. It gives them something to do

You can also give tiny amounts of tuna in springwater, or cat food, even chick crumbs.  Only give these until your hens is better.  Poultry spice can be added to the feed (according to instructions on the tin)  as this is supposed to help them over the moult. 

[henamoured]

Thanks CQ. They do have lots of greens and I have tried to up their protein and calcium.  But have you come across a limping hen where the limp is do with their moulting, or do you think this is a separate issue? In other words is the limp due to the just general lack of condition because of moulting do you think?

[orchardlady]

Hello Henamoured. You poor little hen she does sound down. I think you are doing all that you can. The limp is possibly due to her feeling down but it might be worth you scooping her up and giving her a careful look over. Might she have a bit of Bumblefoot? Feel her joints and flex her leg to see if she 'winces' and see if any of her joints seem hot.

Hope she feels a bit brighter soon poor thing.

[joyfull]

not sure that she can get Mareks symptoms twice but if she has survived an attack then she will be a carrier for life and you run the risk of her infecting any others. The most common age for developing Mareks is between 12 and 28 weeks old (although you can get the odd case at 6 weeks).

[henamoured]

Thanks OL and Joyful for your advice much appreciated. I thought that was the case with Mareks so I won't introduce any more chx until present ones have lived out all their days.
BUT oh wonders and all joyessness - when I came down this morning there was no limp and she seemed sooo much perkier. I didn't post this morning because I wasn't sure if she'd keep up her recovery but I've just raced home from work to get back before it got dark and she still seems much better
I'm not sure what it is that worked - perhaps a combination of the diet extras and antibi's and rest but she seems to be on the road to recovery. I'm sooo pleased.
I couldn't find any injury to her leg or foot but I must admit I had to be very careful examining her as she's so sensitive with nearly all her body now covered in the little 'pen feathers' (I think that's what they're called) and she was 'gobbling' and sort of wincing as I touched her anywhere.
Anyway I just hope she keeps up her recovery. Going to have a glass of wine to celebrate and relax now!
Thanks again for all your support and advice everyone.

[bantam novice]

Great news henamoured! 

[joyfull]

grumpy dad had trouble with mareks (and his birds were vaccinated but the vaccine has to be administered within a very short time span from being opened otherwise it is useless), anyway he had 1 girl left and after trying other birds and sadly losing them he then got some others who have survived. So perhaps it may be worth having a chat with him  .
Glad yours seems to be on the mend.

[Bonniebean]

3 out of 4 of mine are going through the same, but are at different stages, all according to their ages. The only one not in moult is the youngest and I fear she will start in January! I am giving mine garlic and poultry spice in mash, stressless in their water and they have a hanging cabbage to peck at. They are all eating and drinking as normal, just look a bit sorry for themselves. I have also bulked up their bedding a bit to ensure they are warm at night. I'm just keeping a close eye on them as it's also my first full moult to see and I have had worries like you, but I keep an eye on the posts here which reassure me.