Mille Fleur D'uccle: Odd Broody Behavior?

[speak1074]

Hi everyone,

My Mille Fleur D'uccle laid about 14 eggs under the leaves of the rhubarb bush. My daughter found them, with Penny sitting on them, and didn't realize what was happening. So, she moved Penny and collected the eggs. Penny is the sweetest chicken, and it's very obvious that something's up with her. Do chickens get depressed? She's not acting traditionally broody, so I'm wondering if maybe her breed just broods oddly. She spends a lot of time in the coop, goes to bed early, but not in the nesting boxes...that I have seen. She does sit up on her perch and in the last two days there are a ton of her feathers all over the coop floor. I haven't been able to locate any other eggs, but she's definitely not laying right now. I ordered her some fertilized eggs, but now I'm not sure that that was the best idea. Your thoughts and comments would be appreciated.

 

[Top Rooster]

Well if she is not sitting on the eggs at night there is a strong chance she is not broody but if she is puffing up and sometimes making broody noises she is just in the beginning stage of broodiness in a day or 3 she will sit full time. When you said their is a lot of feathers everywhere she might be molting birds who are molting tend to be lethargic and stop laying because all their calcium is going in to feathers this is a possibility but not certain she could be sick.