You're welcome, hope it helps.
I think the reason why the feathers falling out is often being confused with them being plucked out, is that in children's books etc that most of us were exposed to at some time or another, we were wrongly taught that they pluck their breast feathers out. Some old nursery rhymes come to mind about doves plucking their breasts for their nests, lol.
Also, when they preen their breast feathers and they're falling out due to the broody hormonal cycle, it can look like they're pulling them out. I'd bet they itch too due to the follicles releasing the shafts. I can think of one hen I watched preening her chest and every time she did so at least three feathers fell out. But it's also possible some wild birds pluck themselves somewhat, I don't know. I do know that some of my hens who never went broody also lost the breast feathers to expose their broody patches just like a broody hen, though they never exhibited the broody behavior. I'd see them walking around with breast feathers just falling out. Many people still believe they pluck them. But during the broody period the usual blood filled pinfeathers do not come back unlike any other plucked feather, and the exact surface area "plucked" is always the same shape and size and smooth-skinned with clear outlines of feather tracts that are not "plucked". It appears the follicles become dormant during this hormonal cycle.
Best wishes, hope she breaks off the brood without an issue.
