Personality change when moulting!

Marigold

Marigold

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I've read people's posts about how hens can get off colour etc when moulting, but has anyone noticed that they can lose their common sense and revert to being very suspicious of their keeper?
Nutmeg, my Cream Legbar, is now top hen, has always been very tame since brought up here with Marigold from 5 weeks old, now 20 months old. She has always been first back to the run when I shake the corn box to get them in from the garden, even flying across the pond when necessary. Recently she has taught the two young pullets what to do, even the flighty Leghorn, which has been useful. They have always followed me round the garden like little dogs with wings. But she has just started her first proper moult - feathers in 50 shades of grey everywhere- and when I try to get them in shes now last to arrive, just wanders around outside vaguely, and if I leave the door open for her the others all come out again in the hope of more corn, and I have to start again and round them all up. When I try to catch her, which has always been easy, she really gives me the runaround in the bushes, very suspicious, thinks I'm going to eat her or something. As she's not in lay the crouching reflex is temporarily switched off, maybe this has something to do with it? Or maybe she's seen me poking large chunks of antibiotic pills down Marigold's gullet and, being an intelligent hen, has decided not to risk it!
 
My buff laced dotte, Maisie, has just started her moult. She has always been a bit slow off the mark compared to the others but she has become very hesitant and is always last out of the run to free range. :roll: She looks bedraggled but is eating and drinking ok and hangs about with the rest once she catches up with them! Hope she can get it over and done with as soon as possible.
 
I answered a post recently Marigold where I suggested the protein used for feathering up deprived their little brains of the protein it needs to function correctly. Many of ours go a bit gaga when moulting and wander around in an apparent trance. I boost their protein intake with sunflower hearts. I used to give them maggots but doubt I will be able to source them here. Generally it has an almost immediate effect on restoring their behaviour. Some advocate fish flavoured cat food and Lewis Wright suggested a tiny ball of beef mince, neither of which I think is a good idea. Extra protein in moderation is a good idea to speed the feathering process anyway I believe.
 
There's really no need to adjust the diet if they are on a layers ration and I suggest that they feel very vulnerable when in a heavy moult. They can't fly, their hormones change (lack of colour and shrinking of comb) they have loads of new feathers and part feathers that they don't want damaged either by the other hens or by their owners by picking them up. and some become quite solitary at this time.
There's usually a natural reason for changes in what is a perfectly normal function in domesticated and wild birds.
 
Thank you, Chick, that really makes sense to me. At least she's getting on with the job properly, not hanging around a few feathers at a time over a period of weeks like Marigold is!
 
Yes, Marigold, the one that I am worried about because she's not eating runs a mile when I go within about 6 feet of her! Anyone would think I was chasing her with a shotgun!! She's usually the first one to come to me and runs after me to be fed any treats by hand, she's much rather this than eat if off the floor! She actually took two pieces of corn from me this afternoon, so maybe Chris's suggestion of sunflower kernels is staring to work!

Some answers have said that no other food should be given other than the normal ration of pellets. If this is correct, how long do you leave a hen without any food when she's not eating? I now have another one who hasn't eaten for 4-5 days, she is going to bed with an empty crop every night. Do I just leave her to get on with it and hope she starts eating again? She's not in a moult either, but showing no obvious symptoms.
 
I didn't see anyone suggest that no other food should be given, just that if they are eating a normal layers diet of 16 - 18% protein, that will meet their needs during the moult as most are not laying.

If they are not eating the normal diet, that's a different thing, although they might just be eating to meet their needs.

If mine don't eat, I know they are desperately ill or dead, so don't understand why there are such picky chickens around.
 
Our rearers and layers pellets are only 15% protein. When you take into account corn treats (avoids boredom problems) the average protein across the day falls further, so the sunflower hearts takes the figure back up to around 16% where Chuck says it should be. Our cockerel, who is into a heavy moult, has gone off his food, but yesterday decided to tuck into chick crumb at 18% protein. So perhaps he is telling us something?
 
Yes that might be something to try, Sue. I feed my quails on Garvo Alfachick, which is similar to Alfamix with a mixture of mini pellets and seeds and crustaceans, because it has 19% protein, good for quails, but occasionally I've given the hens a little handful as a treat and they fight to eat it. It does look very tasty!
 
Chuck said:
I didn't see anyone suggest that no other food should be given, just that if they are eating a normal layers diet of 16 - 18% protein, that will meet their needs during the moult as most are not laying.

If they are not eating the normal diet, that's a different thing, although they might just be eating to meet their needs.

If mine don't eat, I know they are desperately ill or dead, so don't understand why there are such picky chickens around.
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Um no, I don't suppose dead chickens would eat!! :-)09
 
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