Molting or getting bullied?

[TheCopperCoop]

Our 8 month old partridge rock has started looking ROUGH in the past couple of weeks -- she's always been the smallest among our standard hens but she seems to have lost weight and is losing feathers on her body and especially her neck and head.

I believe she's too young to be going through the typical seasonal molt, but perhaps she's stressed because of the much colder weather we've been having in Montana recently? The nights in the past couple of weeks have swung down to upper 20s

The other thought is maybe it's bullying from other hens or roosters, but we haven't caught anyone targeting her or acting particularly bullish, and the feather pattern loss doesn't seem to match the roosters typical MO. Her change in appearance has seem to come on very suddenly and no one else in the flock is exhibiting similar feather or weight loss.

Any thoughts on what might be the issue and how I can help her?



Unfortunately the only other recent photo I have of her is a selfie and doesn't show her neck or head but I think it does show how much fuller and healthier her body looks and this is from just last month.


Any thoughts on what might be the issue and how I can help her?

 

[micstrachan]

That looks like a molt to me. Mone tend to go iff feed when molting and shy away from the group. Can you pull her aside for some private feedings? She might benefit from a protein boost like meat, fish or eggs.