Molting and Broody?

[ChickonLand]

I have an 11 month barred rock who is laying eggs and very healthy. In the last two days she has started becoming very broody. She sits on her nest all puffy and proud and growls when I go to take her off. I noticed that she's missing some feathers on her belly. The bare skin is healthy and clean but I wonder: could she be molting while being broody? Or maybe she wore the feathers off her belly when she took a dust bath the other day? Any advice?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They pluck off them off for better contact with the eggs.

 

[ChickonLand]

When will she stop brooding? Should I interfere?

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you are not planning to have her hatch eggs, yes you should break her from her broodiness. Otherwise she may continue this for a few weeks, during which she may lose weight (along with more chest feathers) from spending her time trying to hatch eggs/fake eggs/golf balls.

 

[ChickonLand]

Okay! Do you have any advice for stoping the brooding? I've tried taking her out of the coop to be with her flock (my hens are free range and don't have a run, only a chicken house they go in at night and to lay their eggs) but she runs back to the coop. I put her on her favorite dust bathing dirt but she just rolls around for a while and then goes back to the coop (I think she's just trying to wear away at more tummy feathers).

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You need to put her in a wire bottomed crate slightly elevated off the floor for 3-5 days so her bottom cools off which will shut down the broody hormones. Feed and water in the crate and don't let her out until day 3. If she returns to the nest than back to the crate for a few more days.