6 months old olive egger losing feathers.

[karkauai]

Hi all, I'm 76 and new to chickens and new to this forum. I got 6 pullets (2 RI Reds, 2 Black Coppers, 1 Buff Orpington, and an Olive-Egger) 7 weeks ago and have them in a tractor with attached SnapLock Coop. I move the tractor and clean the coop twice a week. Feeding them Kalmbach 18% crumbles, table scraps and a handful of dried meal worms every few days. They are all growing, active and seem to get along fine. No eggs yet at about 6 months old.
Here's my question:
The OliveEgger is the runt, she's growing but not as fast as the others. She's more skittish than the others but gets her fair share of treats. I noticed yesterday that she's losing feathers on one side of her neck. I haven't been able to get a close look as she runs from me and my 76 yr old back and hip aren't agile enough to catch her.
If what I have read is correct, it's wrong time of year and she's too young to be molting. How do I determine what's going on?

Thank you for any help, advice etc. I'm clueless.

 

[Eggcessive]

Pictures may be helpful. It sounds like she may be getting picked on and feathers picked by another pullet. In the dark, it can be easier to pick them up and examine for lice or mites, and treat them. BluKote bluing spray can sometimes be used to hide any red or bare areas. Sometimes they pick feathers do to boredom, overcrowding, or not enough protein. All flock, flockraiser feed has 20% protein, but if used on hens, you should also have a container of crushed oyster shell available separate from feed for the extra calcium layers need. Do you also have some poultry grit for them to help the gizzard grind up bugs, grass, and worms?

 

[karkauai]

Pictures may be helpful. It sounds like she may be getting picked on and feathers picked by another pullet. In the dark, it can be easier to pick them up and examine for lice or mites, and treat them. BluKote bluing spray can sometimes be used to hide any red or bare areas. Sometimes they pick feathers do to boredom, overcrowding, or not enough protein. All flock, flockraiser feed has 20% protein, but if used on hens, you should also have a container of crushed oyster shell available separate from feed for the extra calcium layers need. Do you also have some poultry grit for them to help the gizzard grind up bugs, grass, and worms?

Thanks, Swamphiker, I've never seen any of them picking on each other. Maybe at night on the roost? The only time I've been able to pick any of them up is if I close the coop door and they roost in the run. I'll try that tonight and see what I can see. I'll add pics if I'm successful.
I guess I can get BluKote and Poultry grit at a feed store or on line, I'll try to find some.
Any thoughts on how to get them to let me pick them up? They're finally eating mealworms out of my hand the last few days.
I've added ground oyster shells to their feed, but they seem to pick it out and leave it on the ground. I just tried drying egg shells and grinding them to the size of the head of a pin and adding to the feed. Is that a good alternative?

 

[Eggcessive]

I don’t add grit or oyster shell to feed, since they usually take what they need. They will eat crushed egg shells usually, but they are no enough calcium unless you feed the layer feed. I use a geeky headlamp flashlight with the red light on to pick them up on the roost or surprise them after dark, or before daylight. Most chickens do not like being handled. It is helpful, though to look them over, feel of their crops to see if they are emptying overnight, and just a general once over for weight gain, dirty vent, or injuries. I just do it quickly and release them.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

What is the material on the sides of the tractor? Is it chicken wire or hardware cloth, or something else? Could she be sticking her head through the sides of the tractor? Or is there a hole of any kind in the tractor she could be sticking her head through?

 

[karkauai]

Hi BigBlueHen, it's hardware cloth, dipped in a plastic coating of some sort. The bottom 2 feet are 1/2" holes and from there up 1" holes.