no feathers on chest

[beate]

I am very new to raising chickens, have 4 hens, no rooster. They started to lay eggs at 7 months. Now at 8 month my Blue Wyondotte shows bare skin on her right chest. She always was the first out to eat and the last to go inside, so she could eat. Now she hardly comes out. I thought it might be because of the cold temperatures. But now I am very concerned. Every night we have single digit temperatures and she has no feathers on her chest. Is it a desease or a behavior problem? I appreciate any help and suggestion. I already read a bunch of posts, but I am still looking for help for her. Thank you

 

[Eggcessive]

Is she sitting in a nest box? Hens that go broody will pull out their feathers over their chest and abdomen to cover their eggs better. If she's not broody (and yes I have had breeds that have gone broody that young) she is probably being feather-picked by another hen. You may have to hang around the coop and watch to see who the troublemaker is.

 

[beate]

she is not sitting in the nest box. She is just standing in the coop. However the eggs my chicken lay are usually in the coop, it seems like only my Americauna uses the nest box occationally. I will have to watch if one of the hens picks on her. Should I seperate her over night? During the day they are free ranging

 

[Joseph Kirk]

Seperating her won't help . You have to find the guilty party and seperate that one for 4 or 5 days and when she gets back in population she shouldn't do anymore pecking. I have a 3 by 4 coop inside and my wife calls it the "Time Out" pen and after a little vacation they usally forget what they were doing and don't do it anymore.

 

[CowgirlPenny]

I have never seen any of my hens pick at each other's chest as a dominant thing. It's always the head, back, tail feathers,etc. Plucking chest feathers sounds like going broody (perhaps she wants to sit on eggs, but the other hens run her out of the nestbox when she tries?) Maybe you could add a second nestbox in for her. It could also be mites or lice.

 

[aghiowa]

you'r just going to have to keep watching

 

[BlazeJester]

I have two black australorps that started to go broody. Both are missing feathers on the front of their neck (as close as they can reach) as well as lower on the breast, closer to the legs. Neither of them is actively sitting on a nest but both get a wild hair every couple days and start to set. I wish they'd stay there!

If sheSounds like your girl could be a prime candidate for some fertile eggs!

 

[redsoxs]

I have two black australorps that started to go broody. Both are missing feathers on the front of their neck (as close as they can reach) as well as lower on the breast, closer to the legs. Neither of them is actively sitting on a nest but both get a wild hair every couple days and start to set. I wish they'd stay there!

If sheSounds like your girl could be a prime candidate for some fertile eggs!

X2 about her being a good broody hen! I had a BA and two BOs go broody last summer and do the same thing with their feathers.

 

[beate]

My four chickens get along really well from day one, I have never seen them fight. They always do everything together, noone excluded. Another friend suggested she might be molting. The next few nights are going to be very cold, around 0 and I am just hoping she won't get frostbite. I do have a heating lamp.