Baldness / loss of feathers on shoulders

[Nifty-Chicken]

I was reading this thread and learned about balding shoulders from the linked site. This made me think about my own girls where a few of them are loosing feathers on their shoulders.

What's up with this? They are young hens (about a year old). Any ideas what's going on?

 

[speckledhen]

It's either molting, rooster damage or pests. Not much else it can be. The first hard molt takes place around 18 months old. The only hens I have with bare wingbows are the rooster's favorites.

 

[silkiechicken]

Do you have a rooster? That is usually what causes it as they are frisky buggers.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Well, I don't have a rooster, but I've got a black australorp / RIR hen that sometimes mounts / stands on top of other hens. Maybe that's it.