help is there something wrong with my chick?

[MakelaNJoe]

I have a 4 week black with white crest polish chick im not sure what is going on with him/her! The crest is disappearing like its plucked out or something..anybody have any ideas?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Is the chick being housed with other chicks? Crested birds are often the target of picking to the headdress - so it is entirely possible that there is some plucking going on. Have you spent much time observing the chicks to see if you can witness another bird doing any picking?

 

[WindyHillFarm]

Unless some other chick is picking at his head mercilessly (which you would probably notice!) it looks like he's going through the "awkward" baby bird stage! The new crest will come in nicely when he's a little bit older. Cute little guy! Other reasons could be brooder too hot or mites, in which case he'd be losing feathers on places other than just his head. If you suspect mites you can give him a dish of diatomaceous earth to dust himself off in...

 

[MakelaNJoe]

I have a total of 3 chicks 2 crested and an old english game(all 3 have been together since the day they were hatched). This particular chick Is like the protector he stands in front of the others when i walk into there area. My other two chicks are well mannered sweet and loving all three get along fine. No other animals have access as i bring them inside at night!

 

[MakelaNJoe]

Maybe awkward feathers it is he/she seems happy healthy just missing some feathers lol

 

[WindyHillFarm]

Yeah, they can look really weird for a while during the growing up stage. Mine are all raggedy.

 

[newmarch2014]

I had a sweet little runt of the bunch Brahma that was picking my poor Easter Eggers beards and muffs out and they just stood there and let her do it

. She has stopped and their beards are filling in again. But the whole bunch of them looked terrible at 5 weeks, pin feathers everywhere and bald patches and down here and awkward feathers there. They always have a couple times of ugliness as kids.