*Runt Chick With Missing feathers and Skin dryness?

[WhiskeyTheRedd]

After weeks of searching for chicks to be available in my area—and finally having the cash at the same time—I finally got my girls yesterday! I even drove two hours to get them!


I originally planned on bringing home seven, but while I was there, I noticed a tiny one being bullied and stepped on by the others. I just couldn't leave her behind, so I paid the $6 to give her a safe home.


She seems super healthy—running around, eating, drinking, chirping, and resting comfortably under the lamp. No pasty butt, thankfully! However, she has no feathers on her back, under her wings, and slightly around her neck. Her skin is very dry, and she scratches at it often.


She is significantly smaller than the other chicks, almost bantam-sized. Despite that, the chicks in her brooder aren’t bullying her, and she’s able to move out of their way. It's a much better environment for her now, compared to being crammed in with 100 others!

There’s no redness or signs of pecking, I’ve already added electrolytes to her water, and the other chicks in her new brooder aren’t bothering her.

What else can I do to help her skin and encourage feather growth? Should I be concerned about anything specific?

picture below are her back and Then her with her mates

 

[WhiskeyTheRedd]

I dig into her fluff looking for mites, None found. *

 

[WhiskeyTheRedd]

Bumping for any ideas, she still looks pretty rough today.

 

[NatJ]

I don't know for sure what caused it, but I'd be curious to see pictures after she grows feathers.

If the missing down is because other chicks picked at it, she will probably grow feathers normally. The same would apply if anything else happened after hatch to mess up her feathers (like if she got an eggshell or poop stuck to her down, and a person pulled it off and the down came too.)

On the other hand, if the missing down is because of some health problem or a weird gene, that might affect the new feathers she tries to grow, so she might always look odd. Sometimes chickens with feather problems will have other health problems too, other times they can have odd feathers but be perfectly healthy in all other ways.

So I don't really know what is going on. But since you say she is acting healthy in all other ways, that sounds promising!

 

[WhiskeyTheRedd]

she seems to just be small but loud and active! Maybe she just looks a little silly!! here's hoping.

 

[Mill Chick]

@Eggcessive? @Debbie292d

 

[Eggcessive]

Does the missing feathers on the back seem a bit like a burn? Someone posted recently about their chicks getting burned on a heat plate. Bantams or runts need a little extra TLC, and I would make sure that she gets offered some moistened and dry chick feed and some cooked egg several times a day.

 

[WhiskeyTheRedd]

Does the missing feathers on the back seem a bit like a burn? Someone posted recently about their chicks getting burned on a heat plate. Bantams or runts need a little extra TLC, and I would make sure that she gets offered some moistened and dry chick feed and some cooked egg several times a day.

I took a very close look at it, and it does not seem burned at all, it just seems dry and theres no evidence of any wounds, its just bare skin with what looks like follicles for the feathers to grow from. Shes Not supposed to BE a bantam as i pulled her from what i THINK was black sex links Jersey Giants and buckeyes. Ive been offering her the higher protein chick starter. She doesnt seem to really be into the egg.

 

[Debbie292d]

After weeks of searching for chicks to be available in my area—and finally having the cash at the same time—I finally got my girls yesterday! I even drove two hours to get them!


I originally planned on bringing home seven, but while I was there, I noticed a tiny one being bullied and stepped on by the others. I just couldn't leave her behind, so I paid the $6 to give her a safe home.


She seems super healthy—running around, eating, drinking, chirping, and resting comfortably under the lamp. No pasty butt, thankfully! However, she has no feathers on her back, under her wings, and slightly around her neck. Her skin is very dry, and she scratches at it often.


She is significantly smaller than the other chicks, almost bantam-sized. Despite that, the chicks in her brooder aren’t bullying her, and she’s able to move out of their way. It's a much better environment for her now, compared to being crammed in with 100 others!

There’s no redness or signs of pecking, I’ve already added electrolytes to her water, and the other chicks in her new brooder aren’t bothering her.

What else can I do to help her skin and encourage feather growth? Should I be concerned about anything specific?

picture below are her back and Then her with her mates
View attachment 4089141View attachment 4089158

I have one that just hatched in the last few hours that has a bare area on its back. It's from their being in the egg, and I can see their fuzz in the eggshell they left behind. I get one like this about every two dozen. I assume they struggled to get out and wore it right off. It doesn't take but a day or so and they grow it back. This one wasn't as bad as it looked to begin with once it dried.