Why is my hen losing her feathers and losing weight?

Do you have a henhouse in your garden and notice that your hens are losing weight and feathers? No need to panic! In addition to the moulting phenomenon that occurs during the autumn seasons and leads to the inevitable shedding of a hen's summer plumage, there are other causes linked to the loss of their feathers, such as diet or stress. We take stock to help you find a solution and solve this problem!

My hen is losing weight and feathers!

If the ornamental or laying hens in your garden lose their feathers in early autumn and you notice that they no longer lay a single egg, there's no need to worry as this simply means that they are moulting. This is a completely normal transition for some phasianids. To recognise moulting, apart from the fact that it occurs during the autumn cycles, one of the most revealing signs is the cessation of egg-laying. If you want to improve egg-laying as well as the quality of each egg and are looking for help to help your hens hatch, you'll find some very interesting tips on our guide!

In fact, moulting is a period when hens no longer have enough energy to lay eggs. A sick hen will continue to produce eggs, although this is likely to be greatly reduced or directly affected by the hen's general condition. On the other hand, if you notice a fall in feathers on the rump, belly, back or neck and significant weight loss outside the moulting phase, you need to take action as soon as possible. It's highly likely that your animals will need attention! You therefore need to pay close attention to your animals' behaviour inside or outside their henhouse.

What are the pathologies or causes linked to your garden hen losing weight and feathers?

Other than the moult, which lasts for 1 month as autumn approaches or just before egg-laying, if your backyard animals lose weight and feathers, it may be linked to a stressful environment such as pecking by other hens in the henhouse, a dietary deficiency of calcium or protein, certain diseases such as depluming mange or parasitism due to red lice, for example. If your hens are infected with these parasites, we'll give you all the advice you need to get rid of red lice on your hens.

How can I help my hen who is dropping her feathers and losing weight?

If the phenomenon is caused by red lice, chewing lice or other mites, diatomaceous earth will be your best bet for combating these parasites! Sprinkle some directly on the affected hens, avoiding the eyes, and also pour some into the henhouse and other areas of your garden where they like to bask. If stress is causing the depluming, you can isolate the hens and contact a backyard animal behaviourist who will help you solve your problem.

If it's a dietary deficiency, we advise you to buy food supplements that will supplement their feed and cover their nutritional needs while they wait for the feathers to grow back. You can also increase their food rations. Don't hesitate to be a little more heavy-handed with certain ingredients, such as lupini beans, split peas or various rapeseed, soya and sunflower cakes. It is entirely advisable to also increase the usual doses of fish or meat until your feathered pet recovers.

In all cases, don't panic, as the loss of feathers and weight is not irreversible. Once the problem has been treated, your hen will regain her original weight and be able to adorn herself with her wonderful plumage again! As well as bringing you a nice daily basket of the day's eggs, we'd like to remind you that hens are effective henhouse animals for controlling the Colorado beetles that attack the potatoes in your permaculture garden...