Hard molt or predation?

roheryn

Songster
Premium Feather Member
11 Years
Jul 23, 2013
163
125
226
Northern CA
My EE has feather loss and blood on both shoulders. I know she is molting, but this is a strange pattern, just the tops of her shoulders and blood spots (one side worse than the other). My hens free range, and although much of the area is enclosed, predators can definitely get in. It could be feather shafts that have broken when they came out causing the blood, just haven't seen this before. I put her inside in a kennel last night to make sure the other girls don't pick on her. Thoughts?
 

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I'm guessing that flock mates are feather pecking/plucking her pin feathers.
should I keep her isolated? I put her back in with her flock mates today (3 standard + 2 bantam, 1/2 acre so plenty of space) and she was aggressive to one of the other hens for a bit, but no one else was approaching her. I know they can get cannibalistic with blood in evidence, so I'm keeping an eye on them all
 

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