Molting?

[Allybird]

My white California 7months old went Broody for about 3weeks, staying in laying box, puffing up, making noises, not laying. I would bring her out at times to be with the flock and eat, but she would eventually go back. I blocked box at night, so she slept with her flock. Now she’s dropping feathers like crazy. We have another few weeks of fall in Pa, but should I worry about the cold?

 

[User690263]

Based on how she keeps trying to go back to the nesting box, I would say that she is broody
Flip her over to see if it is just her stomach that is missing feathers. If that's the case, then she is broody. You can snap her out of it by either dunking her in a bath of cold water to lower her body temperature, or putting her in "broody jail", which is a wire dog crate slightly elevated off the ground so that her stomach gets plenty of airflow, which also lowers her body temperature.
Hope this helps!

 

[User690263]

Here's an article that may help as well
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[aart]

We have another few weeks of fall in Pa, but should I worry about the cold?

Nah, she'll be fine....... unless half her bare skin is showing.

 

[Allybird]

Thanks for the replies. She did snap out of the broadness last week after about 3weeks of broody behavior. Now she’s dropping feathers. She lost all long tail feathers and is thinning around her neck and body. I also have a feather picker in the bunch. Not sure how many are just dropping naturally and how many are being bullied!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Normal for broodies to molt after brooding. It's still fall so she should have plenty of time to grow in a new coat of feathers before things get too cold.

 

[Possum-Pie]

I also live in PA. I've always wondered why they don't drop feathers in a molt in the summer when it's 100F rather than wait until it gets cold. We've had a few mornings around freezing and they are all still missing some feathers.
As for temps, we get a few days every winter where temps are in single digits/teens and they don't seem to mind at all. Their body temp is over 100F and the downy feathers really insulate. They are fine as long as they stay dry and their water doesn't freeze up.