PLEASE HELP! Is this normal molting?

It started with a rooster and eventually he died and left the hens molting. It is becoming worse and did all I can to treat them. Gave them vitamins and minerals, changed their feed to more nutritious feed, used feather fixer feed, used food grade DE powder thinking that it might be mites but still their feathers are shedding and becoming bald
They are eating and drinking and doesn't seem to bother but I'm alarmed that it might cause them more serious problems. Any advise will be greatly appreciated. TIA

I'm sorry about your rooster!

So you don't have any roosters in your flock anymore? It really does look like rooster damage. It doesn't look like they are molting, either. But it looks like I see pin feathers coming in in the first pic?

I'd do a really thorough check for lice and mites. DE doesn't help an infestation, so if you are worried, you can try treating the birds and coop with permethrin spray or poultry dust.

Is it possible their diet lacks protein or that they are crowded?

It may just be that you have to wait for them to molt before their feathers grow back fully.

Aunt Angus said:

I'm sorry about your rooster!

So you don't have any roosters in your flock anymore? It really does look like rooster damage. It doesn't look like they are molting, either. But it looks like I see pin feathers coming in in the first pic?

I'd do a really thorough check for lice and mites. DE doesn't help an infestation, so if you are worried, you can try treating the birds and coop with permethrin spray or poultry dust.

Is it possible their diet lacks protein or that they are crowded?

It may just be that you have to wait for them to molt before their feathers grow back fully.

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I separated the roosters from the affected flock but still have 1 roo for every 12 hens. Barred rock cage separated and white leghorn cage are al separate. These hens in photos are just some of them and they are in a separate coop which is like 10' x 12' in size. The main coop where the other hens are is larger than that coop size. I don't see any problems with the barred and white leghorn with roosters tho. But what worries me is these hens. They are mixed breeds, black and red sex links, white leghorn, some are buff orpingtons and rhode island reds. The buff and rhodes are the older hens but they don't have any bald spots.like the others. I wonder if it is due to pecking disorders because I checked for mites and don't see anything but I'll double check again. From the main coop where most of the hens are have lots of bald spots, on their neck, head, back, breasts and butts.
I give them boiled eggs everyday, greens, tomatoes, grass clippings once a week. We have a small farm that we harvest veggies and berries so they enjoy the produce, too.
The roo that died was the worst I've seen since I raised chickens. When I first started noticing he's sick due to scruffy looking feathers and losing some, I thought it was just molting until I noticed his neck looks like it was getting twisted. I separate him immediately and researched. He's gasping for air and drools and what I found out, it might be gapeworm so I gave all the chickens ivermectin dosage according to the product directions for 7 days. But the poor roo didn't make it.
I think I will be trying the permethrin just to make sure that there will be no mites.
Thank you for the advice Aunt Angus! I truly appreciate it

Ma_37 said:

I separated the roosters from the affected flock but still have 1 roo for every 12 hens. Barred rock cage separated and white leghorn cage are al separate. These hens in photos are just some of them and they are in a separate coop which is like 10' x 12' in size. The main coop where the other hens are is larger than that coop size. I don't see any problems with the barred and white leghorn with roosters tho. But what worries me is these hens. They are mixed breeds, black and red sex links, white leghorn, some are buff orpingtons and rhode island reds. The buff and rhodes are the older hens but they don't have any bald spots.like the others. I wonder if it is due to pecking disorders because I checked for mites and don't see anything but I'll double check again. From the main coop where most of the hens are have lots of bald spots, on their neck, head, back, breasts and butts.
I give them boiled eggs everyday, greens, tomatoes, grass clippings once a week. We have a small farm that we harvest veggies and berries so they enjoy the produce, too.
The roo that died was the worst I've seen since I raised chickens. When I first started noticing he's sick due to scruffy looking feathers and losing some, I thought it was just molting until I noticed his neck looks like it was getting twisted. I separate him immediately and researched. He's gasping for air and drools and what I found out, it might be gapeworm so I gave all the chickens ivermectin dosage according to the product directions for 7 days. But the poor roo didn't make it.
I think I will be trying the permethrin just to make sure that there will be no mites.
Thank you for the advice Aunt Angus! I truly appreciate it

Click to expand...

Sounds like everything is good for your flocks! The only other thing is that it sounds like some of the affected birds are high production hybrids. I've found that they sometimes need more protein. I had a balding red sexlink who I could NOT get to regrow feathers for over a year and a half! So, on the advice of other BYCers, I upped her protein by adding starter to their regular feed. You might do the same for just that flock, maybe? Just a thought.

In a couple of months or so, my sexlink went from this:


To this:

Aunt Angus said:

Sounds like everything is good for your flocks! The only other thing is that it sounds like some of the affected birds are high production hybrids. I've found that they sometimes need more protein. I had a balding red sexlink who I could NOT get to regrow feathers for over a year and a half! So, on the advice of other BYCers, I upped her protein by adding starter to their regular feed. You might do the same for just that flock, maybe? Just a thought.

In a couple of months or so, my sexlink went from this:
View attachment 3187105

To this:
View attachment 3187100

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Oh yeah! That's what exactly they look like. I just can't take a better photo and always forget to bring my phone when I go to the coop because I do all the hard work cleaning and feeding them every single day. I have 7 big coops to tend and 2 smaller like 6' x 10' coops for my quails too that I don't want my phone to get dirty lol. Specially by the quail coops, they produce a lot of dust.
I will buy some starter feed and mix with the layer they have right now. Glad to know that it is not a certain type of virus.
Once again, thank you Aunt Angus! I feel better now. Have a great weekend!

Ma_37 said:

I have 7 big coops to tend

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Holy guacamole! I have 2 and it's a lot! I am considering adding a 3rd to separate my ducks, and the thought exhausts me.

Bravo! Bravo!

Aunt Angus said:

Holy guacamole! I have 2 and it's a lot! I am considering adding a 3rd to separate my ducks, and the thought exhausts me.

Bravo! Bravo!

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yep! It really is exhausting but I enjoyed seeing them happy when they see me. I treat them like pets and family lol. I don't want to see them hurting and tried to give everything they need. It's hard work but rewarding. I have nobody to rely on to treat and take care of them the way I do. I got sick for a week and has to stay in bed for almost a week and my husband was the one feeding them but when I had the chance to go check on them and see their situation from my husband's care, I felt so bad I got up on my hurting back and tend them. I am so attached to every one of them. I don't want to see them hungry, sick, and unhappy. Some would say, they are just chickens, but not for me

Consider upping the affected with extra protein. Easy way,, is to offer some dry cat food. Moist canned cat food is also fine,,, but pricey compared to dry.
View my Avatar and you can see that my chickens raid the cat food whenever they get a chance.

cavemanrich said:

Consider upping the affected with extra protein. Easy way,, is to offer some dry cat food. Moist canned cat food is also fine,,, but pricey compared to dry.
View my Avatar and you can see that my chickens raid the cat food whenever they get a chance.

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Any dry cat food will do the job? Or is there a certain brand I need to get? I didn't know that cat food is good for extra protein needed because my husband laughs at me before when I gave them the leftover cat food when my cat got lost and never came back.

Ma_37 said:

Any dry cat food will do the job?

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Yes,, all cat food is considerably higher in protein than dog food. That is one reason not to feed dogs,, cat food. My dogs do try to raid the cat food bowls when given a chance,,, and are still alive. I suppose if that was their only food,, might be not ideal, or even to a point harmful
Your chickens will be just fine eating what you supplement with the quantities you provide.
Too much protein in a chickens diet causes runnier stools,, and somewhat smellier.
I just gave you a simple idea to try,, Cat food easily available everywhere,, and also reasonably priced.
There are high protein feed for chickens,, like game fowl,, that are in the over 20% range. I don't have exact numbers on hand,, but I know they are available. That involves getting a quantity,, and possibly not available as easily,, as common chicken feed.
Start of with a handful of cat food in their feed bowls,, and see how things work. My chickens pick out the cat food,, as if it was scratch feed