strange pattern of feather loss?

[lstyles]

I have a fawn zebra sitting on five fertile eggs. I have been gone for the last two weeks on vacation and she laid the eggs while I was gone but when I candled them they look fertile. She is sitting quite well and I hadnt seen her out of nest until this evening (got home last night). When she did come out I was surprised to see that she is missing many feathers (bald) on her chest. The pattern is quite strange as she is missing a stripe of feathers on either side of the midline. The middle of her chest has feathers. The bald areas look reddish. She is otherwise well and I tried to get a photo but she is moving around too vigorously. I haven't seen the male go into nest or pick any feathers. It also seems like a strange place for him to pick feathers from. Could she be doing this herself or could it be something like mites etc? She looks so pathetic I want to do something. She is not acting like she is sick. I will try to get photos again tomorrow.
thanks,
Lori

[finchmix22]

I had an rccb pair in which the hen had chest feathers missing in an odd pattern. Turned out another bird was plucking her feathers and when I separated them, she grew her feathers back.

[cindy]

She could be doing this herself to further line the nest. Watch the pair and see if you can determine who is plucking. I have seen finches plucking themselves while sitting on eggs....It is usually from the chest area and sides.

[lstyles]

I got a better look today and I think that she is pulling them out herself. They are pulled out on either side of chest and a little bit on side but none under chin....all the areas she could reach with her beak. They stopped sitting on their eggs so I removed them and I am going to remove nest and give her a break. It looks like the feathers are starting to come back in already as I see little white nubs on the skin.
thanks,
Lori