Molting or feather issue?

[Hmenzi]

Good morning! It's spring time finally in new york, and I'm noticing some of my almost year old hens loosing feathers starting around their necks/shoulders. They have never molted, I got them as day old chicks in early july and i never noticed them molting other than their first chick molt.

Two of my easter eggers seem to be losing feathering around their necks/beard areas and im wondering if it's them molting or something medical that I need to take care of. They're all acting normal otherwise!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Noraaaaa]

It looks like a molt to me. It is a weird time to molt though! Do they have lice or mites? That could cause it. And are they molting or whatever anywhere else?

 

[Hmenzi]

It looks like a molt to me. It is a weird time to molt though! Do they have lice or mites? That could cause it. And are they molting or whatever anywhere else?

Im not sure if we have mites or lice, they don't seem to have any signs of them but i only check on them a few times a day lol. Some are losing a small amount of feathers on their backs/shoulders but I believe it's our rooster playing favorites with some of the hens. I do sometimes see the other chickens picking at these twos beards but they seem to do it gently in an almost grooming manor rather than bullying but who knows when it comes to chickens lol.

 

[Noraaaaa]

Im not sure if we have mites or lice, they don't seem to have any signs of them but i only check on them a few times a day lol. Some are losing a small amount of feathers on their backs/shoulders but I believe it's our rooster playing favorites with some of the hens. I do sometimes see the other chickens picking at these twos beards but they seem to do it gently in an almost grooming manor rather than bullying but who knows when it comes to chickens lol.

Okay! Make sure to check their vents. The back and shoulder is probably from the rooster. Its weird that the others are pecking their beards. Sometimes they will bully and do that and may pull out feathers, but as you said they seem to be kind. I would just make sure it doesn't get worse and make sure the others don't make it bleed.

 

[Hmenzi]

Thanks! I'll check vents later when i have help. And honestly now that I think about it i haven't seen the others grooming each other since they lost their beard feathers a few days ago lol!

 

[Hmenzi]

Vents are clean, I don't see anything crawling on them or near their combs/eyes. So im hoping it's just a molt!