Help with feathers please... pics

[MommaBee]

OK so this has been going on for quite some time. Here is the background... There is a mixed breed flock of 7 hens. There is NO rooster in with them (That we know of... oddly we have only ever gotten 6 eggs in one day). They have a 8X6 run and a 4X6 coop. They roost outside at night if that makes any difference. We give them oyster shell daily to peck at. They are on 18% layer feed and free range 1-2 times a week. We have treated them for fleas, ticks and mites. There have been no changes in their laying patterns.

OK so with that said, what the heck is going on?








I know those are awful pics. It was a rush job so I could give an example. I can take more if needed.

But see the neck of our EE in the second pic? The feathers are totally gone. it is red and swollen and its comb used to be a pea comb, now I am not sure what to call it. The white deleware hen and the barred rock in the back have NO feathers missing. We know that the Delaware is at the top of the pecking order but she has never crowed and doesn't have deleware rooster features, however we do see her try to mount the others from time to time. Someone enlighten me on that behavior. The runt of the group to the right of the bottom pic, you can see her feathers missing at the end of her back. The EE in the first pic seems to have its wing/shoulder feathers missing. There is even a buff orp with a back patch of feathers missing. The whole thing is just odd! Anyone have any ideas on what is going on? Could the Deleware be doing THIS much damage! If so what should we do? Just remove her? And will the feathers grow back?

THANKS!

 

[Judy]

When there is no roo, it is not unusual for a lead hen to mount another hen as if to mate. This is a gesture of dominance. She may also make a sort of crowing noise. Mine's crow is pretty close to a male crow. She may also stop laying eggs as part of the same hormonal variation. Whether they ever feather pcik as anothe gesture of dominance, I do not know, but in a way it makes sense.

You might try the bully treatment: remove the lead hen for a week then return her. if nothing else, this should shake up the pecking order. It might also help if there is a way to make a big change in their daily life. Maybe move them all to an old coop or to live in an unused garden for a month or two; aanything drastically different.

 

[MommaBee]

When there is no roo, it is not unusual for a lead hen to mount another hen as if to mate.  This is a gesture of dominance.  She may also make a sort of crowing noise.  Mine's crow is pretty close to a male crow.  She may also stop laying eggs as part of the same hormonal variation.  Whether they ever feather pcik as anothe gesture of dominance, I do not know, but in a way it makes sense.

You might try the bully treatment:  remove the lead hen for a week then return her.  if nothing else, this should shake up the pecking order.  It might also help if there is a way to make a big change in their daily life.  Maybe move them all to an old coop or to live in an unused garden for a month or two; aanything drastically different.

Do you think adding protein would help? We also have a flock of 20 eleven week old chicks. There are some roosters in the bunch for the timing being. Would it help to introduce them? I was hoping to wait closer to 18 weeks when they are at equal size. But if it would help I will try it!
Thank you for your reply! We are obviously worried about them. The EEs look 1/2 plucked.