Bare Chest Chicken.. should I be worried

[kgrover]

The other day I thought my chickens chest felt 'odd'... but it wasn't until today when my husband picked her up that I noticed what her underside looks like. She doesn't seem to be acting any different and she is still consistently laying eggs.
Is she simply molting or is there something larger that I should be concerned about.
We live in CA and it recently has gotten a lot colder and wetter... not sure if that means anything. But otherwise, nothing has really changed for them.
If this is something serious, is our other chicken in danger too?
Thanks in advanced for all your help! We are still really new to this.
Ps. This is Petunia

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Could she be broody (wanting to hatch eggs?) Broody hens will pull out their own feathers on the belly to get more contact with eggs for warmth to hatch them. Other signs of a broody hen are sitting in a nest box day and night, only getting off once or twice a day to go eat and have a huge smelly broody poop. They may also peck at your hands, and roll any egg under themselves if you place one near them.
If it's not that, then I would wonder if she roosts on the floor, since she has a little rough spot on her keel (breast bone area.) That can be a sign that she lies on the floor. Is she walking okay?

 

[kgrover]

Ok! Thanks so much.
She doesn't seem broody but we aren't home during the day when they are active.
She does move all of the straw in her hen box over and lays on the wood directly. Shes been doing that since day one thought and this just became an issue.
She doesn't sleep in the hen box. They both perch on a pvc pipe in their coop.
I will watch her more carefully this weekend
And yes, she seems to be walking fine. And her poop seems normal

 

[Eggcessive]

Just a bit of advice about the PVC pipe, it's best to use either a flat 2x4 or 2/2 wood branches for roosts so that they are not too slippery or too cold. With 2x4's the wide side should be up. Since you don't think she is broody, you should probably check her skin closely for signs of lice or mites. Lice will leave clumps of white eggs at the base of feathers under the vent and other places, while mites may leave specks of dark bits. Here is a good link to read with pictures: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

Broody hen with her typical bald patch on her chest

 

[kgrover]

Thank you so much for the tips!
She was out running around in our yard today and seems happy.
I will be cleaning out their coop and everything really well today and will look for signs of mites, etc. We will also replace the pvc with wood today.

If she is broody, what do I do about it?

I really appreciate your help.