Missing neck feathers

[BigSkyBird]

Yesterday I noticed that Cleopatra, one of my Australorp pullets, who is seven months old and the queen bee of my little flock, is missing feathers on both sides of her neck. She otherwise is healthy and active, laying large eggs regularly. None of my other chickens are missing feathers. I don’t see signs of mites. I looked at Cleopatra’s vent and it looks normal. My chickens have plenty of space in their run, a large, well ventilated coop, and get to forage in my yard nearly every day.

Does anyone know what is causing this?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Could be other birds are plucking her which sometimes happens when they groom each other. Another option is she's going through a neck molt. You should start to see new feathers coming in if she is. Otherwise she could be rubbing them off on something like nestbox lips or feeder edges, stuff like that.

 

[SonoranChick]

She's so pretty! Looks like regular neck molt to me. There doesn't seem to be any redness, irritation or wound, so I say it's just molting. Very common this time of year. I wouldn't worry about it.