Is there something wrong.....

[Chicken Chicken Love]

I have 3 sweet hens around 1 year old, they have had an established pecking order for a while and have always been pretty stable. But in the past month or so, they have been very on edge and get very scared at some of the littlest things going on around them fairly often( small birds flying, squirrels chittering and little bird peeps or calls). They don't usually get scared very easily. I haven't seen any big birds around here or anything that should bother them so much. We also have a night camera outside their run but there hasn't been anything coming to visit them either. There have been no big changes in anything around them and they only go out of their run we we are watching them. I also don't know if this is related to it but it might be, one of my girls, the more cautious one, has been losing more feathers lately and from what I've read she is to young to molt yet so I don't know what is going on. If there is anything you can think of, why this is happening or something for me to check on, please tell me. They are such awesome pets and are usually very happy girls. Thank you in advance!

 

[sourland]

It does sound as if they are aware of a predator in the area.

 

[aart]

has been losing more feathers lately and from what I've read she is to young to molt

"Around a year old"......how old in months?
Like a lot of feathers laying all over coop and run?
Have you looked for pin feathers growing in?

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!