Chicken with red, patchy breastbone-Help!

[splady]

One of my hens has been spending a lot of time in the nesting box. She's been in there for 2 days now, i've taken her out a couple of times as i thought she might be broody.
I just picked her up to check if she could be egg bound and noticed her breastbone is red and lacking in feathers. She doesn't seem to be missing feathers anywhere else.
There is also dark brown watery poo in the coop but i'm not sure if it's hers or someone elses.
She hasn't layed for about a week, but neither have the other chickens. I think they've been stressed out by the new cockrel.
Any advice?!

 

[TrystInn]

Sounds like she's broody and plucking out her feathers.

 

[Pele]

yup yup, she's going broody in classic style. Hens pluck their breastbone so that their skin comes in direct contact with the eggs, thus maintaining the humidity levels they need.

 

[maybejoey]

Chickens egg production will drop if they are stressed by anything like dogs, predators or new comers.
I dont know why she is losing or is pulling out feathers though. Hope she gets better though.

 

[splady]

Thanks for the replies. It's good to know she hasn't got any horrible diseases.
She's currently in the nesting boxes sitting on a couple of polystyrene eggs, she hasn't layed any of her own for a while.
So what do i do with a broody hen?!

 

[Pele]

Quote:
That's a question that has possibly been around for as long as the "which came first, chicken or egg?" question.

There are a number of method proposed by different forum members to break the brood. From hanging the chicken in a cage and blowing a fan under her, to dunking her in water, to putting ice under her. SOmetimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The only 100% way of breaking a brood is to give her fertile eggs to sit on and hatch. The chicks will pull her out of her trance.

Ok, you COULD guarentee the brood to break without chicks by buying the most expensive hatching eggs out there, that you really really really want chicks from. Viola, your hen will lose interest and leave them to spoil.

 

[splady]

She was broody!
Luckily we had a clutch of green eggs being driven over from Britain (we live in the Czech Republic). It was a long journey and they were a couple of weeks old when they arrived, and travel conditions were not ideal. Anyway - we are two days away from hatching day and of 24 there are 10 which are still possibles.
Wish her luck on Monday!