Balding Belly

[JFKHomestead]

Hello BYC, I'm Karen Forbes from Cowden, Il I have had chickens for 2 years now and noticed that one of my girls is balding on her belly , she has no mites or lice that I can see , but moved her to a separate pen in garage to keep her from others...she has not been laying eggs but every 10 days i'll get 1 ..What is wrong with my girl..I'm new to this so please HELP

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi Karen and welcome to BYC. Do you think that she may be broody? Is she eating, drinking normally? Is her behaviour normal?

Ct

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi Karen

Glad you could join us here! I too agree that this could be a sign of her becoming/preparing to be broody. If not could any of her flock mates be feather pecking her? Where is she in the pecking order?

Good luck with her and enjoy BYC

 

[drumstick diva]

sounds like she wants to brood, do you have a fertile egg from any other hen, you could put under her to see?

 

[JFKHomestead]

Not sure what broody is , she is not with the others i separated he, r she was last in line for pecking order\er, she has no feathers in bottom of pen, eats and drinks normal. I have had her alone for about 3 weeks now and no change in her condition

 

[JFKHomestead]

I can put an egg under her from others today if need be,what does this do ?

 

[Shaunassy]

Not sure what broody is , she is not with the others i separated he, r she was last in line for pecking order\er, she has no feathers in bottom of pen, eats and drinks normal. I have had her alone for about 3 weeks now and no change in her condition

When a hen is broody it means she wants to sit on egggs for 21 days (incubation period for chickwn eggs to hatch) and raise baby chicks. Sometimes they pluch their chest/belly feathersin order to get their bodies closer to the eggs for keeping the eggs warmer.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Here are some threads and articles on broody hens ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=Broody+hens#

Being broody means she is wanting to incubate and hatch eggs. Is she staying in her nest box? If broody they get hunkered down and don't like to be disturbed ~

 

[Shaunassy]

Even though the incubation period is 21 days, she can stay brooder longer than that. I have a austrolop hen who has been broody for a little over a month. You can try to "break" her of being broody by various methods but I always let them get off being broody on their own. If you want chicks putting fertilized eggs under her will result in her hatching out babies. If you dont want babies, put unfertilized eggs under her and after 21 days maybe a few more she should leave the nest realizing they arnt going to hatch and no longer be broody. If that doesnt work there are other ways to break her but like mt hen, sometimes nothing works but letting her do her thing on her own.

 

[JFKHomestead]

So what do I need to do she doesn't sit on her nest all day she moves around in pen,had her outside for about half hour yesterday and she seems fine but the balding belly, do i put an egg under her to sit on, no roosters here so its not fertile