Help..missing patch of feathers

[Jerseycoop]

Hello, I have an EE who's 20 weeks old. I noticed yesterday that she has a missing patch of feathers on her back, between her wings near her back tail feathers. There's no blood nor injury. I also do not see any insects. What I do see is her skin and what looks like just the base of feather quills. The patch is approx. 3x3" I worried because this is my first chicken issue pertaining to health. I went into my local Agway and she assured me that it was molting, and showed me some of their own chickens going through the same thing.

Do chickens this young and at the start of fall molt? Or is something else going on...

she's healthy, bright eyed and acting normal in every way. Just a nervous chicken Mama. Any help would be appreciated..thanks

 

[WooingWyandotte]

Maybe a chicken ripped it out.

 

[chicmom]

Do you have a rooster? Sometimes this happens if, say, she is his favorite gal.....Excessive mating will do that. Also, I did have a hen that liked to pick feathers off the others. I just noticed her going around, eyeballing the exact same spot you mentioned on each chicken's back, and BAM! She'd pull out a feather or two! I got rid of her.....She was such a meanie! She had bald spots on every chicken's back I had in my little flock.....EXCEPT her of course!

 

[WooingWyandotte]

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That's funny.

 

[Jerseycoop]

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dead give away..lol! I do not have a rooster

at least no one looks like a rooster and there's no crowing. I have 7 total and the other girls look fine nothing going on. The girl at Agway told me to put poultry protector on her "just in case" she has loose feathers laying around in the run. Would anyone know if a chicken at 20 weeks would molt now? Every time I look at her I feel like I should be doing something more. She runs away from me now knowing I'm there to inspect her only..lol

 

[Jerseycoop]

Ok I researched some old threads from October 2009 and my girl looks very much like the molting chickens in the pics. A juvenile molt for winter. What a relief!

thanks for all your suggestions!

 

[Ksane]

I guess you found your answer but yes-they commonly molt at this age in the fall. I looked it up awhile back also. My Dove is molting right now and she looks awful!! I'm not looking forward to my chickens molting.