Broody hen with no tummy feathers

[Eggs4Sale]

Our 8 month just broody hen has lost all her belly feathers, and we want to know is it normal?!

 

[mythkat]

It's normal. That's the broody patch. If you put your hand on it you'll be surprised how warm it is.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Very normal. They typically pluck their breast feathers out.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Thank you. My son posted that question, even though I told him it was normal. Now that smarter people than Mom have answered, he'll believe you!

 

[LynneP]

Some thoughts on this, with pics

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=7693-sick-hen

I have two at this time, ahem.

 

[miss_jayne]

increases heat and humidity for the eggs she is laying upon.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Yeah, we have two also.

The one that's been broody for more than a month, and the one that became broody today and stole first hen's eggs. 1st hen moved to another egg box and sat on nothing. 2nd hen is a cow, I guess, and cracked one of the 1st hen's eggs, so I took the opportunity to find that after 8 days, the eggs had not developed due to the heat. I just placed ice packs in each of the egg boxes and hope that keeps them out of there. I thought it was weird that 1st hen was never de-feathered on the tummy, but 2nd hen is.

Chickens.

 

[birdsofthefarm]

It's Fine, Our girl did that. It is to keep them warmer.