brooding

[chicky68]

She is losing feathers at the bottom of her neck on both sides.but it is on her body.

 

[gander007]

 

[SummerSaige]

I think the chicken breed is a Delaware because brahmas have feathered feet and that bird doesn't. I may be wrong though!

Is she losing feathers any place in particular? She could be molting, the rooster could be taking them off when he mates with her, some hens will strip the feathers from their undersides when they are broody, double check to be sure she doesn't lice or mites etc that could be causing feather loss.

x2 on both these posts. By the way, welcome to the flock!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Do double check that nothing else is going on, feather plucking or mites/lice especially, but molting often starts at the neck area, so it is quite possible she is molting, hens that were broody also often seem to molt also... since she was broody but lost the clutch, she maybe slightly off schedule. Here is a nice article on molting. (Note the months of year they mention depend on the schedule commercial operations have their birds on and the location.)
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/217/moulting-a-natural-process
Quote "Moulting takes place in a fairly definite order. Feathers are confined to definite tracts or areas of the body surface, with bare patches of skin between. The first plumage is lost from the head and neck, then from the saddle, breast and abdomen (body), then the wings and then from the tail. While the first feathers are being dropped from the neck and body, good layers will often keep laying, but when the wing feathers begin to drop, laying usually ceases."

I'm seeing feathers on the feet of both those birds, Brahmas have feathers, Delaware do not, both those birds also have peacombs, Brahma have peacombs, Delaware have single combs, am not seeing any barring in the black markings, Brahma are Columbian colored, Delaware are similar but the black is barred, am sticking with the vote that birds are hatchery quality Light Brahma.

 

[drumstick diva]

She needs a protected area to brood, so she doesn't lose eggs to another predator

 

[chicky68]

We started closing her cage at night. We were always leaving it open. I also wanted to know, she starting laying eggs on the 18th of April and now she has 16 eggs. Is there a time frame that they start brooding?

 

[chicky68]

As far as the type of chickens. They do have feathers on their feet. Just not now. Some of them fell off.

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

Good luck with this hen! I hope she starts to go broody soon. Keep an eye on the feather loss and hopefully it is nothing serious or from aggression.

Welcome to our flock!

 

[Matthfoster]

What is brooding?

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Brooding/broody is when a hen constantly sits on the nest trying to hatch babies and raise them. They also stop laying during this time. A normal broody cycle can last anywhere from a few days to a month. Most hens will go broody once a year. (Sometimes more sometimes less, if ever. It depends on the breed.) So, if you are not wanting, chicks then you should try and break the broody hen. (See link attached.)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/encouraging-or-discouraging-broodiness-in-your-hens