Polish Bantam losing feathers, please help!

[bugandpudge]

My favorite and most tame little chicken is going bald. The feather loss is only on the back of her head. There are still quills in her skin, just feathers are not there. She lives with six other chickens, and they are all about three and a half months old. They all appear to be hens as well. All of these chickens are various breeds but they grew up together. I am worried it may be bullying but the feather loss is just the back of her head. Tonight when I went to shut the coop on them my little one was sleeping on top of the nest boxes instead of in the coop like she usually was. That is why I am concerned for bullying. If this is the problem could I still keep her with them and just build separate sleeping arrangements? I don't think she would do well living totally away from the other girls. Thanks to any chicken raising veterans that can help!

 

[Judy]

Quills with no feathers actually sounds like a partial molt. They do a fair amount of dropping feathers and growing more in the first year. Just a guess.

 

[bugandpudge]

Ok. So they will just molt in one spot sometimes? I have noticed random longer feathers on the ground from all the chickens but she is the only one with an obvious bald area.