losing feathers, not sure if molting...

[NoodleRooster]

My buff orpington is losing feathers like crazy...

She's one of the youngest ones in the flock and she's the bottom of the pecking order. She's the only one that goes broody sometimes and I'm concerned at whether or not she gets an ample amount of food because she is often pushed away from the food by the others and she never fights back. I noticed today when she got up from her normal dust bath, her feathers were everywhere....she doesn't look to scraggaly but I can't tell if she's just molting or if she's not getting enough to eat.

As a first time chicken owner I haven't seen them molting, so I don't know what to expect.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

~~Noodle

 

[Roosterlover5]

If she is starting to molt then it should be around the date of her birth,and she will probably start getting her new feathers which for my hens look like "little blue porcupine quills" which is just the new feathers coming up.

 

[NoodleRooster]

My other chickens are a few months past their birth dates and haven't molted yet. I don't actually see where her feathers are missing from I just see them flying everywhere.

 

[luvinmychickens]

Keep your eye on her. Maybe when roosting at night and see if the other chickens do anything to her for the next week or so.

 

[NoodleRooster]

Thanks. I will keep an eye on her

 

[Roosterlover5]

She could be a late molter too. Or if she's going broody they sometimes pull out their breast feathers for their nest.