Mites, molting, pecking??? Pics of my chicken.

[henrysue]

My hen's tail recently began taking on a frazzled look. I've looked at it a couple times, but I don't see any insects. I see my hens occasionally picking feathers off each other, but nothing that looks like pecking at this one. Moulting? She's only 5 months old.

When I look close, I see bare skin, feathers that have been broken off, and what could possibly be a sore that is healing. There are also what I think are new feathers.

Because I have no experience with chickens, do the following pictures give you any clues as to what might be happening? I tried to get close up pictures of her skin but she would have none of that.

All my other chickens have beautiful full feathers. This chicken has also always been the slow, smallest chicken. She's not so slow now, but still quite a bit smaller than the other RIR.

Thanks for your help!

 

[rooster-red]

Do you have a rooster?

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Is she maybe the bottom of the pecking order. My shy hen gets her tail pecked at a lot if she wasn't a fast runner she would prob have ruffled looking feathers too. Poor girl

Hope she is ok and that's all it is.

 

[henrysue]

No rooster - forgot to mention that.

 

[nnbreeder]

Even without a rooster present the dominant hen will tread the other hens and cause damage like this.