No eggs, lossing feathers, not leaving the coop???

[Fundychic]

For more than 3 weeks now, my Silkies are not laying eggs, loosing their feathers under the chest, not venturing out of the coop. Normally they run around the yard. What can be going on? They are eating. Worms? Molting? Heat? I keep a clean coop and run.

 

[blueberrychickens]

kinda sounds like they are broody.....did they pluck their belly feathers??? Do they puff up & get kinda growl-y when you go near them or their nest boxes??? Silkies are notorius for being broody.

 

[Fundychic]

Yaaaaa, they kinda do. How long to they brood for... they don't have any eggs... and do they brood all at the same time? I have 4 hens and 1 rooster.

 

[NovaAman]

give em some golf balls...

 

[blueberrychickens]

I guess it depends on the chicken as to how long they are broody for, I had one girl who was broody from Jan-April, I dont have any roosters so she wasn't sitting on any eggs. She eventually gave up, only to go broody again 3 weeks later! She is a gold laced wyandotte, is finally done w/ being broody & is one of the fattest of the flock. So if your girls are broody & you have a roo, let them sit on some eggs & enjoy the babies in 21 days!