Molting Chicken still laying eggs

[ColoradoChickenLady]

My one and a half year old Black Star Hen started losing feathers on her chest several months ago, and then lost most of her downy neck feathers several weeks ago. She is getting some pin feathers growing in on her neck (nothing on her chest yet), but she hasn't stopped laying. She is still laying an egg every other day. Are there any health risks to her molting and still laying? Should I be concerned that she isn't growing new chest feathers yet?

You can see her patches of skin on her neck and her chest here:

 

[Welshies]

Did she go broody? Broody hens often pluck or "lose" feathers off their breast area.

 

[ColoradoChickenLady]

Did she go broody? Broody hens often pluck or "lose" feathers off their breast area.

I don't think she's broody, she's acting normally and laying an egg every couple of days.

 

[Welshies]

I don't think she's broody, she's acting normally and laying an egg every couple of days.

That's weird. Does she sit on her nests or have one tucked away somewhere? Does she puff up or hiss, or cluck at you when you approach her when she is sitting on an egg?

 

[kgb6days]

All of our chickens are molting (7 of them). I still get 2-3 eggs a day. The only one who completely stops is my EE. She molted last year and stopped laying for around 4 months. It's a good thing she's my favorite or she might have ended up in a pot (JK).

 

[junebuggena]

Some hens do molt so gradually, that they don't stop laying.

 

[ColoradoChickenLady]

That's weird. Does she sit on her nests or have one tucked away somewhere? Does she puff up or hiss, or cluck at you when you approach her when she is sitting on an egg?

She only ever goes in the nesting box to lay and leaves immediately, I've never found her sitting on an egg.

 

[Welshies]

She only ever goes in the nesting box to lay and leaves immediately, I've never found her sitting on an egg.

Perhaps she is molting then. I've never heard of chickens laying while molting- this is neat! Guess I learned something today

 

[ColoradoChickenLady]

All of our chickens are molting (7 of them). I still get 2-3 eggs a day. The only one who completely stops is my EE. She molted last year and stopped laying for around 4 months. It's a good thing she's my favorite or she might have ended up in a pot (JK).

Thank you. I thought hens always stopped laying when they molted. Good to know.

 

[ColoradoChickenLady]

Some hens do molt so gradually, that they don't stop laying.

I didn't know this! Thank you!