Feathers missing on face?

[Anika Wood]

My Silkie Hen, Soot, has missing feathers around her comb. I didn’t notice until now because all of my chickens have been eating cherries that get their faces dirty and stick their feathers down sometimes. This is her all cleaned up. Is this just from the other hens picking on her? Or is it some kind of illness?

 

[Jenessa_096]

Huh, how old is she?

 

[Jenessa_096]

Btw, welcome to Backyard Chickens! 🐥 ❤️🐔💙

 

[Anika Wood]

Huh, how old is she?

Just over a year, i have older hens of different breeds that are larger than her, and sometimes pick on her. I haven’t seen anything this bad though

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Could be from the others picking on her if she's getting really dirty/has food stuck on her.
It's a good idea to look her over for lice/mites too.

 

[Anika Wood]

Could be from the others picking on her if she's getting really dirty/has food stuck on her.
It's a good idea to look her over for lice/mites too.

Thanks for the advice! I’ve checked the base of her feathers and everything seems normal there. I’ve isolated her with her chick (who’s a couple months old) for nighttime because most of the bullying happens in the coop early in the morning or evening. If I don’t notice any improvement in the next little while I’ll probably take her to a vet ❤️