What's causing my chicken to loose all her feathers under her beak?

[gavada]

We have 4 Ameraucana hens that are all about 4-5 months old. They recently started laying. Earlier this week we noticed that one of our chickens, Billie, was developing a bald spot directly under her beak. The rest of her feathers are full and fluffy. The skin has never looked red or bloody. We haven't noticed any one picking on her or her bullying anyone else. None of the other birds seem to be developing any bald spots. Is this just a pecking behavior by the other birds or some sort of illness?

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Inspect her closely for lice/mites, especialy her vent area. If she doesnt have any on her, I know exactly what it is; molt.
Last summer my EE lost her beard and I mustve checked her at least once a day for lice or mites and she never had any. I was at a complete loss. She never lost feathers anywhere else and wasnt getting picked on, she was a steady egg layer and didnt stop laying. This past February her new beard grew out dark and beautiful looking. So, it was a mini molt for her. "Susie" is the only EE I've owned and it was a learning experience for me.

 

[silkiechicken]

Could be start of a molt, or could be other picking off the feathers. My old roo used to put his head down and let the girls pluck off his neck feathers. He'd even go as far as to call his girls over to pick them off.