Frizzle Bantham No Breast Feathers Red skin looks Sore WHAT's Going ON

[Sonja]

We have a Frizzle bantham hen about 8 months who is so SWEET! We just notices she has no feathers on her breast bone area - either side and she is down to her skin. The skin doesn't have any sores and generally looks healthy, but a little read. I rarely catch her on the roost with the other 5 chickens, 1 rooster. She seems to prefer hanging out in the nesting boxes. The bedding is straw in the boxes and pine shavings elsewhere. They all have access to an oudoor, completely fenced in pen during the day with a dirt bath sprinkled with Diam..... for ticks/bugs. We do have a gadget in the coop that turns a light bulb on when the temperature goes below 32 and it turn off when the temperature goes above 35ish during the winter. They eat pellet layer food and water - occassional kitchen scraps.

Picture attached - can you tell me if we need to do something different and if we should be concerned about her exposed breast bone area?

 

[19hhbelgian]

Sounds like she's broody. It's a bit freaky at first - When my first hen went broody she went to town on her feathers, scared the heck outa me! So, do you have any fertile eggs for her???

 

[Sonja]

Well, we don't want any more chicks? Should we be concerned she doens't really roost with the others. We put a soft piece of fleece in the nesting box she usually sits on in hopes this will allow feather to grow back?? What do you think?

 

[Sonja]

testing

 

[LilBizzy]

Yes, it definately sounds as if she is broody. They pluck their chest feathers so that their bare skin can keep the eggs warm. There are ways to break broody hens. The most popular suggestion is to put them in a cage with no nesting materials- preferably a wire type cage that can be off the floor. The colder air circulating under them can make them give up, and having no nesting materials helps.
Me, I just picked my broody gals off the nestbox in the morning, and scooted them outside. Then at night, I picked them up and put them on the roosts. They didn't like me very much during that time LOL. I would suggest also collecting eggs as often as possible, to keep her from setting on them. That doesn't always work- my broodies sat on empty nests. They eventually gave up.

 

[19hhbelgian]

Yep, I have 3 of 5 cochins trying to be Mommy's already

They are banshees when on the nest, so I just put my hand in my sleeve when I go in for eggs - those little suckers can peck, let me tell you! I collect daily, and make sure to check underneath your girl really well. Doing this seems to keep them from going completely broody (they aren't plucking feathers and they do come out of the nest box on their own). I think what LilBizzy suggested is a good idea. I personally would put mu girls in a wire cage with no bedding, especially right now