Chicken Behavior

[Sonoma Gal]

Hi, I don't have roosters. My 6 hens are 9 months. A little aggression behavior noted as well as one hen being relegated to the roost beneath the top where they all were till 2 weeks ago. With the behavioral change in the flock noticed one ( that has been relegated to lower roost ) that has feathers missing along both sides of her neck, seems like today the there are even more feathers missing lower down. Since they are 9 months and molting usually occurs around 18 months could this be molting or aggression? I have witnessed a few feuds but they are short bursts. But most concerning is they were all on the top roost now one on the bottom. What should I be concerned about? Do I need to separate the two that I think are the agreessors? Thanks in advance for your insight. This site has been invaluable to me as a newly minted backyard chicken! Happy Holidays

 

[Mrs. K]

Sometimes this shows up when the coop is a bit small, and the birds are now full grown, and with short days of winter, they are cooped up for many hours. Being raised together has no influence on chicken behavior, space is the important thing.

So post a picture of your set up. For 6 hens, I would want a coop that measures at least 6 feet by 6 feet.

Mrs K

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of the bird(s) in question as well would help. If you see pin feathers in the patches where feathers are missing, and/or an increase in dropped feathers in coop and run, then it's possibly molt. Younger birds can molt with shortened daylight, just usually not for as long or as noticeably as adults.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Since they are 9 months and molting usually occurs around 18 months

Most commercial egg laying flocks tend to molt around 18 months of age. That's not because of their age but the cycle of them starting to lay around 5 months of age and laying for around 13 months before production drops and they are forced to molt to reestablish profitable laying. This can be any time of the year because the commercial flocks are kept on a tight light regimen, whether they hatch in March, August, or December.

Most of our backyard flocks are on a natural light schedule. Regardless of when they are hatched the days getting shorter in the fall is what typically triggers a molt. Some pullets (not all) will skip the molt their first fall/winter. If they are hatched in spring then that will be about 18 months after the were hatched. If they are hatched earlier or later then their first molt could be earlier or later than 18 months.

Not all pullets skip the molt their first fall/winter. I understand, you read that all the time on this forum but it is just not true. At 9 months yours could easily be going through a molt. You would think they would have started early enough that they would pretty much be through but there are enough stories on this forum to show it does not always work like that.

Another factor to consider: When chickens molt the molt starts on the head and continues on down the body in a certain sequence. What you describe could be the normal progression of the molt or it could mean feather pecking.

could this be molting or aggression?

Some photos showing the damage might be useful in determining if it is molting or feather pecking.

Good luck, this could be either.