loosing feathers

[GloriaTWH]

I'm fairly new to raising chickens but have had pretty good luck with them until now. I have one hen who is going bald! She is loosing so many feathers that she has bare spots mostly under her wings and legs but also her big wing feathers are going now too. I sat and watched them for a while yesterday thinking another hen or the rooster might be pecking at her but they all seemed to be getting along fine. I did notice there was a lot of grooming going on and she was taking feathers when she was doing it. Could it be mites? And what is molting?

 

[Baymen Moe]

How old are your birds? Young birds will lose lots of feathers as the go through the teen stage and replace them with adult feathers. If they are over a year old, she could be molting, out with the old feathers, in with the new.

I would check for mites and lice though.