New Momma Hen losing feathers

[Puddin Fluff]

We have our first momma hen. She is a year old sex-link(Nubby) from last years 4-h pullet chain. We slipped her some fertilized eggs and she hatched out one adorable Favorelle (it's sibblings are happy out of the incubator and in the brooder box). We have her and the chick isolated in a seperate pen as her flock mates were not nice to the tiny new addition. The chick is about three (3) weeks old now. I have noticed alot of feathers in Nubby's pen. Is it time for her to molt? Is she doing it early because of the brooding stress? Or is there something wrong? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Judy]

Probably molting. A friend had a hen go broody and hatch chicks while in the middle of a really awful molt. They don't always time things so well.

http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Broodys also pull some (or alot) of their feathers to use as nesting material. Usually mine just pluck their breast and belly feathers, but I've had a couple who have gone WAY overboard and plucked them from all over.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Thanks, She doesn't seem to be pulling them, and they are not in the nest, just flying all over the pen. I think it is a molt, but as we have only had this flock and they are just now a year old, we haven't experienced it. Is one year a regular time to start? Will they do it the same time each year or will it vary?