Molting or bullied?

[Nicmcd77]

I’m a novice here so I apologize if this has been posted before. I have 4 hens and i noticed our skinniest one is missing feathers on the top of her wings. Is she being picked on or is this molting? We have no roosters. What do I do?? She’s acting fine so I’m hoping it’s nothing serious.

 

[CoopintheWoods]

It is probably molting, or maybe some combination of the two. However, if she is actually bleeding, it is likely she is being picked on. If there's blood, I would recommend using blu-kote or something similar to keep the others from picking at the spot more. It doesn't look serious as long as it's kept pretty clean. Try to keep your worries at bay, chickens pick on each other all the time, and these things tend to work themselves out Good luck!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Kinda looks like a little of both keep attention on it

 

[so lucky]

I suggest that you spend a little time with the chickens over the weekend to see if she is being picked on. If she is the thinnest one she may not be allowed to eat if the others are bullying her. I have a girl who gets bullied away from the feed bowl, so I put in another feed and water bowl specifically for her, and try to make sure she gets some treats thrown her way. Of course, others use "her" bowl too, but it does help.
You didn't say how old your chickens are. If they are at least a year, they could be going into a full-out molt. If younger than that, could still be molting but not as extreme. Good luck. I hope it's just a molt.