Missing feathers on underside.

[Rietta]

I think at this point your best option is to get some fertile eggs from someone.. by the time you get a rooster, integrate him, and have fertile eggs it will be too late. You can do the break broody as well, or even give her fake eggs to sit on. she will eventually get bored of those. Some hens wont even sit the required number of days to hatch, I had an Australorp sit on 5 and she hatched 3, the other 2 were unfertile. Best of Luck, follow your gut instinct.

 

[Shadrach]

Hi everyone, my darling Lucille Ball is miss g most of her feathers from her chest down. She looks like she's been "pluck!" I've looked her over for mites & such but I haven't seen any. She loves her a good dirt bath! Lol She seems to be eating ok and is not lethargic, she chases me all over the yard! She's the only one like this out of ten chickens, I made her an appointment with our vet for next week just to be sure nothing is wrong. Lucy had Rey Neck Syndrome when she was a chick and i cant imagine anything happening to her. I posted some pics of her underside, so if you have any thoughts please let me know. Thanks!! View attachment 1827505 View attachment 1827508

I wouldn't get her a rooster, much as I love them and I wouldn't get her fertile eggs either; get 10 fertile eggs and assuming they all hatch the probability is 5 of them will be male and then you'll have 5 roosters.
I'm going to tag @aart for you. This is one of those occasions some experience in stopping broody behavior might come in handy.

 

[aart]

First make sure she's broody.

Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

 

[Rietta]

Mine was pulling feathers for a couple weeks prior to sitting on the nest all day and night.

 

[MinniesMomma]

"fluffy screeching pancake" What an apt description!!

 

[phrog6901]

First of all, I want to thank you all for the great advice. This was my 1st experience with a possiable "brooding chic" some of the descriptions of brooding that you all have described, I have not really seen such as; sitting in the nest area longer in the daytime & night than the others, but when I go to collect eggs she has been 'chasing' after me alot more the last couple of weeks. Not to mention, she has been just plain "chasing after me" whenever I'm outside! Lol but she's always been a bit dramatic...
Anyways, I can't get any fertilized eggs until after July 9, so my next option was to use ceramic eggs and place her on them after dark when they are getting ready to sleep.
With my husband's help, bless his heart, the 1st attempt was not successful she hopped right out, but then again i grabbed the wrong chic: sorry Baronass of Winchester. Then I got Lucy, she also hopped out. So we waited for about half hour-45 minutes when it was darker and tried it again.
Found her & gently placed her in the make shift nesting bed, petted her talked softly to her & then both my husband and I clucked " Soft Kitty Warm Kitty" to the group as we shut and locked the gate...... I have the best hubby!!

 

[phrog6901]

Mine was pulling feathers for a couple weeks prior to sitting on the nest all day and night.

That's what Lucy has been doing.

 

[aart]

I have not really seen such as; sitting in the nest area longer in the daytime & night than the others,

Then she may not be broody.....yet.

Anyways, I can't get any fertilized eggs until after July 9, so my next option was to use ceramic eggs and place her on them after dark when they are getting ready to sleep.

Wait until she's setting on her own.

 

[phrog6901]

That was kinda of my thought to, let her sit on her own, but when I was calling around for some fertilized eggs, 3 different places suggested that I move her on them during the night. So we did and soon after we were done clucking "Soft Kitty Warm Kitty" she went back up with the others!

 

[aart]

That was kinda of my thought to, let her sit on her own, but when I was calling around for some fertilized eggs, 3 different places suggested that I move her on them during the night. So we did and soon after we were done clucking "Soft Kitty Warm Kitty" she went back up with the others!

You can move them at night to where you want them to set,
but you have to wait until they are fully broody before doing that.

This is a great thread for reference and to ask questions about managing a broody hen.
It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread