chickens teaming up on one?

[littlepip]

Hi. Yesterday I noticed some loud unusual noises coming from the chicken coop. I thought of course someone was laying an egg, and didn't think much of it.
I checked back a little later just to make sure that's all it was, and when I peered inside through one of the windows, I noticed one of the chickens had feathers missing from it's neck, forming a bald area. there was no active blood though. The poor chicken also looked quite tired, if that's even possible. the rooster of the flock obviously did not want me there, and tried to peck me through the chicken wire window.

are the chickens teaming up against the other?

 

[Eggcessive]

How old are these chickens? Is the one who was picked on showing any signs of illness, such as lethargy, not eating or drinking, runny poops, a crop problem, or problems walking? She may be low in the pecking order, and sometimes they will peck or feather pick one who is acting sick. She also may be refusing to let the rooster mate her. How much room do they have? Overcrowding, not getting out to roam, or too little protein in the diet may cause feather picking. Make sure they have at least 2 feeders and waterers in case she is being kept from food. Spending more time watching their behavior can be helpful to know what is going on. I would not tolerate an agressive rooster, so he might benefit from being in a dog crate with food and water for awhile to let him calm down, especially if he is young. You can easily grab him off the roost in the dark when he is sleeping.

 

[littlepip]

the chicken is actually one of the older ones. She's always been a bit more timid. they have plenty of room to roam, so the chicken (cinderella by name ) does have the option to get away.