Both my chickens are plucking out their breast feathers

[zipf]

Our chickens are both under a year old and have just started plucking their breast feathers. They are eating, drinking, laying. All behaviors are normal. I have checked for mites (as best I know how) and don't see any signs, I have also heard this could be as a result of protein deficiency so have been giving them dry cat food as a treat. Could it just be molting behavior?

 

[TheSpeckledRoo]

Have they been trying to go broody? My hens do that when they are broody, its to give more heat on the eggs.

 

[zipf]

One seemed kind of broody a couple of weeks ago, but not at all anymore. The other one really hasn't been. They lay and go right back to running around.

 

[zipf]

It has gotten much colder here in the last week or so and this coincides with that. Could that be the reason even if they aren't particularly broody?