Chicken feathers look scraggly

[Pollopatrol]

Hi all, I have a 4 month Easter egg chicken who is looking really scraggly. The shafts of her wing feathers are visible and the feathers on her back look short and more like fluff than feathers. She is eating, drinking and laying normally. I haven't seen any signs of mites or lice. We live in the Sonoran desert and I don't know how common mites and lice are but I keep checking for them. All 5 of the other chickens are acting totally normal. We do have one chicken who has been known to bully but the way it looks doesn't like feather are being pulled out. Thanks for helping us out!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Looks like the feathers are being nipped off. Observe the others to see if they are picking at her feathers during roosting time.

What do you feed, including treats?

 

[Pollopatrol]

Welcome To BYC

Looks like the feathers are being nipped off. Observe the others to see if they are picking at her feathers during roosting time.

What do you feed, including treats?

Thank you for your insight! We do have a hen who has been known to bully before so that's definitely a possibility. If it is bullying is it best to separate aggressor or our scraggly girl?

I feed them bar ale natural poultry feed, oyster shells are available, and a handful of meal worms when I'm getting them back into their run after their morning and evening free range.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I never found that separation resolves an issue like this if it's picking/nipping. Often this is done during roosting. If that's when you see it being done, then placing barriers on the roosts can help.

 

[Pollopatrol]

I never found that separation resolves an issue like this if it's picking/nipping. Often this is done during roosting. If that's when you see it being done, then placing barriers on the roosts can help.

I'll keep an eye out for that! Hopefully that solves it.