Feather loss

It sounds like molt. Keep doing what you're doing with the protein and water. Give it a little time.
 

I say they are molting too, has the egg laying slowed down?
, alot of times hens will lay a lot less or even stop laying during the molt.

I would'nt worry myself, but with the age of the hens ,maybe it's time to add a few fresh feathers to the the coop, thats if you LOVE the eggs ,as I do, I'm new to BYC, but have been a chicken raiser for 20 yrs, and as the hens get older ,so do there production, so every other year I add a few new feathers to make up for the older hens, and I don;t cut the ones that stop laying,I LET THEM LIVE,as long as they won't,they feed me for years , so i feed them for years!!but you can do as you please.

If you're looking for lap hens, I would suggest Barred Plymouth Rocks, or Golden Buffs,or Red Stars, with my experience with these breeds, i have found these to be loving with great personalitys,the real main key is to get them as young as possible, an handle them everyday as long as you can.we have a Black Barnavale hen, that will ride on our shoulder, as long as we will let her, but we hatched her under a duck,we keep her in a large bird cage, in the house for a whole winter tho.The more you handle them, the better the chance of getting your lap chicken.

They could be going broody.  Happened to me.  Egg count dropped off and I noticed soft feathers mostly in the nests but around the run too.  Next thing, I had hens go broody on me.  

Are the chickens setting on a nest with eggs?

One is sitting on an empty nest.  Well, I just went out and pushed her off the nest and blocked them so she's up on the roost now.  I'm trying to break her w/ out putting her in a cage.  I just can't do that to her.  I'll try that for a few nights and if that doesn't work, I'll let her be broody.

 

I was able to break the other hen of being broody last week.  She was less persistent and easier to break.  Pushing her off the nest and blocking them worked.

 

And then I also have a BO who is 20 months old and is clearly molting.  I've collected about 12-14 large wing and tail feathers and she's losing feathers from all over, larger and smaller and tiny downy feathers.  Clearly a molt.