What in the world?

[RainbowHen]

How big is your coop? Is there multiple roosts at different levels?

 

[Aapomp831]

They are molting. It’s normal for the coop / run to look like a murder scene.

 

[aart]

They are molting. It’s normal for the coop / run to look like a murder scene.

Murder of a feather pillow!

 

[Aapomp831]

Murder of a feather pillow!

Lol, exactly. My broody is raising her hen outside of the run, right in the yard. The other day I went outside and saw feathers everywhere and baby alone... I really thought the worst. Then mama squawked from behind a bush.... she was fine, just had shed a massive amount of feathers at the same time. But I thought she had been taken defending her baby.

 

[RainbowHen]

Lol, exactly. My broody is raising her hen outside of the run, right in the yard. The other day I went outside and saw feathers everywhere and baby alone... I really thought the worst. Then mama squawked from behind a bush.... she was fine, just had shed a massive amount of feathers at the same time. But I thought she had been taken defending her baby.

I had a similar issue years ago. I had a broody stuck tight to a nest. I thought she had been taken by a predator before I found her. When she finally decided she done brooding she got up off the nest shook off and *poof* she was bald. Feathers everywhere. Literally nothing but pin feathers on her body. She looked like a porcupine. Never seen any like it before or since Felt bad for the poor girl as the weather was getting cold (Wisconsin here) so I put her in my small, insulated chick coop until she grew some feathers back.

 

[unbaked pegga]

They just finished molting about a month ago plus I have seen Lilac going after her in the yard a time or 2 just recently. Lilac was the most docile and meek chicken I've ever had. Scarlett on the other hand was loud, squawked and squawked during the day and was a food thief and hog. I had to constantly tell her to hush. She was annoying. But now Scarlett hardly makes a peep all day. Still a food hog though. Lilac was and still is quiet. I can increase the protein in their food. They sleep together in the nest boxes. I tried to have them roost for a year or two when I first got them. There are 2 roosts there but they never get on them. The run is 4 ft wide and 12 feet long. There isn't anywhere that either one of them could hide in there. I go and let them loose in the run when I first get up and they usually go to bed at dusk. It is so strange. They are both pretty elderly and this is totally out of character for both of them!