Feather loss under beak- not the whole flock, varying degrees of loss

[suzannaski]

Hello-
Has anyone ever seen this type of feather loss under the beak? This hen, Elsinore, has it the worst, Babs has no feather loss (she's a year older, too), Stinky is the same age as Elsinore but no feather loss, and one of the roos has it a little bit, and the alpha hen, Kramer, has a little bit of feather loss.
So I've ruled out: sex, age & pecking order.
Do chickens get ringworm? None of my animals have it.
Elsinore has a cross-beak, but has no problem eating soaked grain. I don't think she can do this to herself.
Thanks for any help-

 

[pips&peeps]

Another bird has pulled her feathers out. It is common if they are bored or crowded especially if your birds have muffs and beards.

 

[rancher hicks]

pips&peeps :

Another bird has pulled her feathers out. It is common if they are bored or crowded especially if your birds have muffs and beards.

That's what I was going to suggest. Most likely happening at night. Watch where she sits on the roost. She's probably on top.​

 

[suzannaski]

They have plenty of room, but they all jam themselves into 1 nest box. Boredom is very likely, too, since we've had dome bad weather and they won't even come out of the coop for long. Glad to hear its not parasites. Thanks for the help!
Ps, yes she used to have a beard & muffs before, how is that a factor?

 

[pips&peeps]

They tend to get wet and/or sticky and it just looks like something to pick at.

 

[suzannaski]

Oh, yes, that would be especially true with Elsinore, who is half Ameraucana (love your saying, BTW) and a cross beak, so she usually has stuff in her beard. Or, HAD stuff in her beard before it disappeared.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Happened to my best black show hen once. She was plucked by another bird.

 

[fasschicks]

I know this is an old post, but 3 of my 6 girls has the same thing. It started during the winter when the water would freeze on their chins, but it hasn't grown back. I have been trying to watch them when they are feeding to see if they are rubbing against the feeder which is elevated, but don't notice it really. Does it ever grow back?

Fass

 

[Wol1]

We've got one of these, too, except she is an australorp. I have a faint memory of one chicken picking at the "beard" feathers of one another of the Americaunas. I'll have to watch closely to see what they're up to.

 

[JGinTN]

Hi,
I've been trying to figure out what is causing the missing feathers on some of my chickens. I wormed them in March with Wazine and followed that with Eprinex, in case it was worms/mites. Nothing changed except the bald patches got bigger and spread to a few more chickens. Does anyone think it is what was described above - plucking by other hens? Just want to make sure that I'm not overlooking a potential health issue. And, if it is the chickens plucking each others feathers, any suggestions on how to get them to stop? They have a large run & coop and I turn them out regularly to roam.....bad weather has prevented them from getting as much time out of the run to roam these past two weeks but the bald spots were present before that. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jill