Chicken seriously losing feathers

[nzchickmama]

Hi all,

My 18 month old hen was recently broody for quite some time (maybe 7-8 weeks before we intervened). After we stopped her being broody, she’s started seriously losing her feathers. Her tail feathers are all gone, her face/head feathers are gone and now all the feathers on the back of her neck. I’ve noticed lots of downy feathers in the coop too.

Is this a normal moult? I wondered if our other 2 hens have been doing it to her (although haven’t seen any of this behaviour and they’ve never done it in the past). Or is she sick?

Photos attached.

Thanks

 

[DobieLover]

A hen can go into an early or late molt after being broody. The stress triggers it.
If she goes broody again, don't wait so long to break her. If tossing them off the nest for 2 days doesn't keep them off, they go into the broody breaker for 3 days.

To help support her during her molt, offer her a sardine every other day. for a few weeks.

 

[theoldchick]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...irst molt, also known,around 16-18 months old.

 

[nzchickmama]

A hen can go into an early or late molt after being broody. The stress triggers it.
If she goes broody again, don't wait so long to break her. If tossing them off the nest for 2 days doesn't keep them off, they go into the broody breaker for 3 days.

To help support her during her molt, offer her a sardine every other day. for a few weeks.

Thanks so much - yeah I know I left it too long to break the broodiness and will definitely stop it sooner next time! We have an end of our coop that can be closed off from the rest and the nesting boxes, so I just put her in there for 3 days/nights. Very relieved she’s just moulting though!