Bald patch on head

[MollyOllyOxenFree]

Hi all! One of my chickens has developed a bald patch on her head, and I am worried.

As far as I can tell, she does not have mites. Her appetite and activity levels are normal. Her laying has not slowed down. She is roosting at night. Basically, everything is normal except the bald patch.

We have four chickens total — no roosters. They free range all day and have a secure place to go — no predators.

There have been no changes to their diet or routine, and all four chickens have been together all their lives. No signs of aggression. We give them high-protein feed, and they scratch to their heart’s content.

We are fairly new to chicken keeping and I am at a loss. Your help/expertise/advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[coach723]

How old are your birds? She may be getting feather picked by others. Sometimes, if you don't have a roo a dominant hen will do mounting behavior too, and that area is grabbed with the beak during mounting. Feather picking could be happening during roosting. They may need more space, you may need to add another feeder and/or waterer. Do some observing to see what's going on to narrow down where the issue may be coming from. I see some pin feathers, so it may fill in if you can get the behavior stopped, or sometimes the feathers don't fill back in until they molt.