Excessive nesting Leading to loss of feathers

[Fabfur]

So for the last few days I’ve noticed that one of my chickens has been spending an excessive amount of time in her nesting box. today I decided to make her go out so I picked her up out of the nesting box and I noticed that she was missing all her feathers on her belly. Im very new to children ownership is something wrong? Is this something I should be concerned about

 

[Fabfur]

Ok so I just read about broody chickens & this is definitely what I’m dealing with. She’s my most loving girl & about 8 months old. I’m not 100% certain how to manage it though with them all in the shed together I’d hate to take the nesting boxes completely out & eliminate them for the other girls.

 

[Yardmom]

Do you have fertile eggs? If so do you want her to set or are you wanting to break the broodiness?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Assuming you don't want to hatch:

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[aart]

I’d hate to take the nesting boxes completely out & eliminate them for the other girls.

You don't remove the nests, you remove the broody from the nests.
Put her in one of these, like @rosemarythyme described above :

 

[Aapomp831]

So for the last few days I’ve noticed that one of my chickens has been spending an excessive amount of time in her nesting box. today I decided to make her go out so I picked her up out of the nesting box and I noticed that she was missing all her feathers on her belly. Im very new to children ownership is something wrong? Is this something I should be concerned about

They pluck out their feathers on purpose to create humidity between their bare skin and the egg. Freaked me out the first time I saw it too; I thought I had a self - harmer in my flock.

 

[aart]

They pluck out their feathers on purpose to create humidity between their bare skin and the egg.

Heat transfer.

 

[Aapomp831]

Heat transfer.

Really? That’s it... I thought it was for humidity since the incubators use humidity... hhmmm

 

[aart]

Really? That’s it... I thought it was for humidity since the incubators use humidity... hhmmm

Yep, so the broody's skin can touch the eggs directly.

I don't know what the humidity conditions are under a broody,
or if she does anything to 'control/adjust' it.
Someone figured out how to manage the humidity in an incubator,
probably by trial and error.

 

[Aapomp831]

Yep, so the broody's skin can touch the eggs directly.

I don't know what the humidity conditions are under a broody,
or if she does anything to 'control/adjust' it.
Someone figured out how to manage the humidity in an incubator,
probably by trial and error.

Right, no comparison to nature that’s for sure! I wish I had 5 broody hens right now instead of 100 eggs going into an incubator.