Need some help stringing some symptoms together

[bettybird]

Hi, I have an 18 month old Light Sussex bird called Betty. She basically laid every day last summer, then every 1-3 days over the winter (such a good bird!). She lays eggs that are almost identical to another one of our chickens, so it's taken a while to realise but I'm fairly certain now that she hasn't laid an egg in about a month.

Simultaneously I started noticing little white feathers everywhere. I turned her over and a patch just below her vent is totally bare. As of this afternoon she looked like she was starting to grow feathers again in this area. She was also looking awfully scruffy in the breast area. No bald patches as such but the feathers were pointing in all directions.

She will sometimes go and sit as if she's going to lay but she's usually just sitting on another chicken's egg. I though 'Oh jeez, she's broody'. But she isn't. She quite happily gets up as soon as she sees me.

Her vent is perfect. Wide, pink and moist (ew).

Her pin bones are about 3 inches apart.

If don't know if it's relevant but she did occasionally lay huuuuuge eggs. And she went through a phase last summer of laying double-yolkers.

She's eating, drinking and pooping like a trooper.

She's as active as ever. No signs of her feeling under the weather.

She's a chunky bird but I don't think she's fat enough to stop laying.

I haven't noticed any weird upright posture (well, I did once but I think it was just coincidence because it was only once).



So I'm panicking that my lovely Betty is laying internally. Is the information above enough to say one way or another?

Is it normal for a chicken to only moult in one patch? I've read that egg production stops whilst they regrow feathers. Do you think that's more likely the reason?

Thank you in advance. I'm terribly attached to my girls so any advice is very welcome.

 

[GitaBooks]

It sounds like she is molting. Sometimes chickens molt out of season when stressed, bullied, or perhaps if they have/had mites or live. She could be hiding her eggs somewhere else.

A bird that was sick and went into a molt. She's all better now


I hope your girl stays healthy. Best of luck!

 

[aart]

Sounds totally normal to me.
It takes a lot of energy to grow new feathers so sometimes molters do act a bit lethargic and pin feathers growing are often 'uncomfortable'.

18 months is prime time for the first adult molt and they do stop laying when in molt.
Some birds molt hard and fast looking like the chicken in the post above......some molt more slowly, with no huge bald patches.

She might benefit from a higher protein levels in her food at this time, feather are almost all protein.