No feathers on the birds belly.

[jeslewmazer]

Quote:
You don't have to have a rooster for a hen to go broody. Most hens don't know the difference between fertile and non fertile (and in your case no eggs). Edited to say: like sourland said
Quote:
drezac10 do you happen to have a picture of the underside of the hen?

 

[wood&feathers]

Where are the shed/plucked feathers turning up? Are they randomly scattered around the coop, under a perch or such? Or neatly clustered in a dark corner or nest box?

 

[drezac10]

I meant to say that I don't have a rooster to be able to put fertile eggs under her. I currently don't have pics but will try to get some soon.

Thank you everyone.

 

[Covey Rise Plantation]

Sounds broody, But chickens dont pluck feathers to line the nest..Ducks do..Hens will start molting the breast feathers a week or so before they even start setting..

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Thing is, being broody can be pretty rough on them when it goes on and on. Obviously, you could try to get some fertile eggs from a neighbor or buy some on here. If it were spring you could pick up a couple of chicks at the feed store and slip them under her after she's been broody for a few days. She would be able to keep them warm even in this weather. Having her hatch chicks, or think she has, is the simplest way to stop broodiness. They don't care whose eggs they hatch. They will even hatch duck eggs, or whatever.


If you don't want any more chickens right now, you should really try to break her. If you're lucky you can just lift her off the nest, sort of chase her to make her eat and drink, and after doing this for a week or two she'll give up. I laugh at the fluffing up and growling they do when I do this. I have one who will give up in about 10 days when I do this, but I am able to do it about 4 times a day. If she doesn't give up, you are at least increasing how much she eats by those times. Normally a broody only gets up once a day to eat, drink and poop. Obviously that's not a lot of food, and they can get pretty thin. Actually, they can even starve to death, though this is unusual -- I think. I once had one stay broody for 4 months. I did a lot of chasing, and she survived. But she never gave up til she had chicks.

Sometimes you can just ignore them and they will give up quickly enough that it is not a problem for them. There are other ways to break one. Putting one in a wire bottom cage for about 3 days without any nesting material often does it, apparently by keeping their bottom side cool. Provide food and water, of course. You have to place the cage so there is air flow under it. There are other methods; I'm sure a search will bring up all sorts of them. Some are things I wouldn't do to a chicken.

Maybe you'll be lucky and she'll give up in a couple of weeks. You'll get good at feeling under her for eggs. (Others will climb in with her and lay, and she may steal others' eggs.) She'll most likely try to peck you, but you can divert her head with one hand and feel with the other. If she's really rough on you, hold an empty can over her head just while you're feeling, and she will peck the can.

Good luck to you both.

 

[Lofty Dreams]

my hen had a bare brooder patch

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

Mine has no feathers, but when she was a little baby they were PLUCKED by a goose. Good luck