Molting?

[mmgillan]

One of my Buff Orp has been sitting up in the hen house, outside of the nest box, all day today. I picked her up and noticed her belly has lost all the feathers. Is this "molting"?

 

[centrarchid]

Show a picture.

Is she eating? I ask because you indicate she was somewhere all day.

 

[Zaxby's2]

She might be going broody since a lot of times a setting hen will pick out the feathers around her belly and that would also explain why she was in the coop all day. But then again she didn't use the nest so there might be a problem and she's not broody. Does she look/act weak? Does she puff up or try to bite you if you get too close? I agree a picture might help.

 

[mmgillan]

Ok.... Here are some pics. I'm wondering if the one of her foot is the start of a "bumble foot"? But would that cause her to loose fear lathers on her belly? After soaking her foot then applying antibiotic ointment then wrapping, she is walking on it and was out in the run scratching some. So any advice will be appreciated.

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[centrarchid]

Ok.... Here are some pics. I'm wondering if the one of her foot is the start of a "bumble foot"? But would that cause her to loose fear lathers on her belly? After soaking her foot then applying antibiotic ointment then wrapping, she is walking on it and was out in the run scratching some. So any advice will be appreciated.

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Wound could be a start of some form of bumblefoot. What does she typically walk on?

The exposed breast I associate with brooding eggs. In my birds it is not actual loss of breast feathers as much as the skin becomes extremely stretchy allowing feathers to move aside. Has she been brooding?

 

[mmgillan]

Well the hen house I have straw & wood shavings. The run is a muddy mess due to all the rain we've had. So if she is trying to go broody, why isn't she in the nesting box? Maybe it's cooler out where she is sitting? I have a fan in the lower part of the coop and maybe it is blowing up into the house just enough. What should I do? Give her a couple eggs to sit on and see what happens? I've never had a broody so not sure how it works.
Thanks for your help!

 

[centrarchid]

Well the hen house I have straw & wood shavings. The run is a muddy mess due to all the rain we've had. So if she is trying to go broody, why isn't she in the nesting box? Maybe it's cooler out where she is sitting? I have a fan in the lower part of the coop and maybe it is blowing up into the house just enough. What should I do? Give her a couple eggs to sit on and see what happens? I've never had a broody so not sure how it works.
Thanks for your help!

No eggs. Something is not right. You are not giving key parts of description for broody. A constantly muddy run could be hard on feet.

Could you show a picture without not being handled? How does she eat? Hold her wings?

 

[mmgillan]

Well she seems to be content sitting in the neat box. She did lay an egg. She is eating and was running around ok. I'll keep an eye on her and see what happens.