Weird top feathers

[abirdsong18]

Soooo I’m back with my weird chickens!
Can y’all tell if this is pecking or a skin disease? I’ve been watching for pecking behaviors from another chicken but they must secretly be ninjas. I can I deter pecking when I’m not around/at work?

 

[Isaac 0]

Presumably, you have a rooster, correct?

When mating roosters will grab onto the bird's head region to stay steady, which often does result in feather loss, and xerosis a degree.

 

[abirdsong18]

Presumably, you have a rooster, correct?

When mating roosters will grab onto the bird's head region to stay steady, which often does result in feather loss, and xerosis a degree.

No I don’t. Just 13 hens, 10 months old.

 

[Isaac 0]

No I don’t. Just 13 hens, 10 months old.

I would suspect the damage is being done by one of the other hens when you're not around - you can appreciate the dried blood on the back of her comb, another indicator for pecking. As a precautionary measure, you could check for mites or lice as that can cause feather loss.

Feather picking amongst the hens can be due to several factors, but boredom should be considered a main possibility. Hanging treats, increasing run space, adding more feeders, or waterers are some measures you can take to reduce pecking. Here is some additional info on feather picking:

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-picking-causes-and-solutions/

 

[abirdsong18]

Thank you! Awesome!! I so appreciate your help!! I had it happen months ago to another chicken but can never figure out who it is exactly. And it’s not frequent at all.
I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t some funky disease I was missing. I’ll definitely look into more entertainment ideas.