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!