Not An Emergency, But Something’s up

[Ohstevie]

My Americana pullet used to have the fluffiest little beard. Now she’s completely bald there. What could be the cause?

 

[Certified Chicken Lover]

Have you checked her for mites recently? Have you seen any feather pecking? Has she already molted?

 

[aart]

Chances are one of your other birds has 'over-groomed' her.
It'll grow back after the next molt.

 

[Ohstevie]

Have you checked her for mites recently? Have you seen any feather pecking? Has she already molted?

Looked at her vent and watched her neck for a bit and didn’t see any movement. I guess it could be her first molt, she’s not even a year yet. It does look like they’re growing back, was just surprised to see her bald one day

 

[Certified Chicken Lover]

That doesn't necessarily mean that its not mites, but I still wouldn't suspect it. To rule out mites completley try going to your coop at night and rubbing a white cloth across the wall/roosts and if there is blood on the cloth you will know that you have mites. Hopefully there isn't though! This happened suddenly? Honestly it looks like feather picking to me, but if it happened all of a sudden then it's probably just her molting. Is she losing feathers anywhere else?

 

[nuthatched]

The others are picking her, it should grow back if you can control the situation

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Those looked like plucked-out feathers, given those tiny holes in her face. She is likely low on the pecking order and getting bullied.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Chances are one of your other birds has 'over-groomed' her.
It'll grow back after the next molt.

Agreed.

 

[Ohstevie]

Those looked like plucked-out feathers, given those tiny holes in her face. She is likely low on the pecking order and getting bullied.

I know birds get bullied but her, her brother & sister are like the top three amigos in our flock. I wonder if she got knocked down a few pegs

 

[Ohstevie]

That doesn't necessarily mean that its not mites, but I still wouldn't suspect it. To rule out mites completley try going to your coop at night and rubbing a white cloth across the wall/roosts and if there is blood on the cloth you will know that you have mites. Hopefully there isn't though! This happened suddenly? Honestly it looks like feather picking to me, but if it happened all of a sudden then it's probably just her molting. Is she losing feathers anywhere else?

Sudden to me when I noticed it. I guess she could’ve been naked for a few days. I haven’t noticed feathers anywhere else. She’s usually all about some belly scratches and yesterday she wasn’t too interested in me as you can see by her face, lol. Her, her brother & sister are like the top three amigos in our flock so I can’t imagine she’s being bullied. I’ll just have to watch