Hen bullying?

[Averyloveschickens]

Hey y'all.
So I have 3 chickens, they're all the same age, 10 months old, and this is their first winter.
One of the girlies has been acting scared of the other ones and just skittish in general, when she used to be layed back and calm. She's missing a noticeable amount of hackle feathers on the back side of her neck and a couple around her vent area, although she previously had a health issue that required a bath down there so maybe that's the reason for that.
But anyway, other than the being skittish and missing feathers, she seems to be acting normal, good appetite and all. I was wondering what y'all thought, if maybe she's being bullied?
I haven't witnessed the other babes picking on her or bullying her, but she's the lowest on the pecking order of my 3 girls.
Thank y'all in advance and have a wonderful day
-Avery

 

[azygous]

Missing neck feathers isn't enough to determine bullying. I have three nine-month olds who are all inexplicably going through full molt with balding necks. They are too young for first full molt, but they are definitely not being bullied.

First check this hen's neck closely for uniform pin feathers emerging. If you see those, she is molting. All three of my hens have a spray of pin feathers on their necks. To determine if she's really being bullied or not, you need to sit and watch behavior of the flock and this hen for a good while. Most afternoons chickens relax and loaf. This is a period of socializing and interactions. It's when aggression is more likely or bullying can become apparent.

If your suspicion of bullying does pan out, here's what you can do about it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-bully-chicken-victim-a-two-sided-issue.73923/

 

[CoopintheWoods]

I'd guess molting too. Some molt gracefully, and some... do not.