How can I tell if she is molting or getting picked on???

[BYOChickens]

One of my 10 month olds looks like she has lost feathers on on her back end. How do you know if it is molting or something else? It's getting cold up here now. What season or month do they molt? At what age do they have there first molt? She seems happy and laying eggs. Don't see her getting picked on either. Any thoughts? Have been giving them Organic feed with "DE" in the mix....so I am not thinking mites???

 

[so lucky]

I think people say that chickens don't molt their first year, but I don't know for sure. There are probably exceptions to that. Does she have bald spots? Red irritated skin where bald? If not, and you are pretty sure she doesn't have mites or lice, I don't think I would worry about it.

 

[jeslewmazer]

That is kind of hard to explain vs show you, but I don't have any pictures of the difference. If she is getting pecked the feathers should look more like being broke/damaged, maybe even blood or sores on the skin. During a molt the feather should just fall out leaving a void (no feather shaft). Some molt and you can't even tell it and yet others are so bad that they loose almost or all of their feathers. Blood feathers (shafts that are filled with blood that create feathers) replace the missing feathers, which turn into the new feathers.


Here is one thread you can look at. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=580915&p=1