Confirmation fault? or sign of hop-on-top ?

[cayugaducklady]

I suspect my hens are playing hop on top but I haven't observed them in person or through their monitoring cameras.

I have seen signs of tussled feathers on their backs but i'm not sure if they're due to the extra grooming they're doing during their second molt.

One hen in particular has a notch in the feathers on the back of her neck. I'm not sure if this a confirmation or feather fault or a sign of mating behaviors.

Here's a picture that shows the notch in her feathers.

It was taken while they supervised the refilling of their dabbling bowl and grooming water.



I want to make sure I'm prepared when they start laying.

 

[Amiga]

Hmmm, my Runners started this at around 12 weeks of age, with the first egg at 16 weeks, until all were laying by 22 weeks.

I set out free choice oyster shell at 16 weeks, and switched over to layer by the time they were all laying.

So they are sneaking around, perhaps, away from the camera?

 

[cayugaducklady]

You are correct. There is a tiny area just big enough for two ducks comfortably or all 4 ducks if they cram in on each other that is in the camera's blind spot. I now have 3 out of 4 hens with this same feather "cow lick." And two girls that flirt with me every time i place the cleaned & refilled waterer back in the night pen.