4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Janepie33]

My Bluebelle Tilly stopped laying 3 or 4 weeks ago and got a bit fat. I thought she was going through the 'Henopause' and resigned myself to no more eggs from her, even though she is only 2 years old.

5 chickens and only 1 laying at the moment!

After spotting piles of browny grey feathers all over the place, it slowly dawned on me that she was moulting (I thought the feathers were from our 16 week old babies - they still get a bit bullied by the other 3).

When I had a close look at Tilly, I found lots of patches all over her, with new feathers growing through.

I always thought that moulting chickens got thin and miserable, but Tilly is fat and happy, but much quieter than usual.

Is this normal behaviour for a moulting chicken?

[Snowy]

Is she moulting, or broody?

[Janepie33]

She is definately moulting. Biscuit is broody and pulling her own feathers out from her chest. Tilly has new feathers growing all over the place and her wing and tail feathers are very sp"Ooops, word censored!".

Both chickens are behaving very differently. Biscuit lives in the nest box (I've tried turfing her out, blocking the nest box, dunking her in cold water - think it's the broody box next!).

Tilly hasn't been near the nest box for weeks.