Injury?

[kle2684]

Need some advice.. this is my first time with chicks and they are about 3-4 weeks old. I have 5 different breeds and they all seem to get along great. I noticed this spot on my barred rock today. It's behind her eye and she keeps scratching at it. It's not bloody and doesn't look like it's scraped...almost just looks like feathers are missing. Any ideas? Does it require medical attention? Could she have been injured by one of the others? She seems to be one of the boldest of the group.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Could be mites. If you look in the search bar of the site, there will be lots of threads that tell how different people treat them.

 

[kle2684]

Could be mites.  If you look in the search bar of the site, there will be lots of threads that tell how different people treat them.

if it's mites, would they be contagious?

 

[JadedPhoenix]

It could spread. I'd treat all the chicks to be safe.

 

[kle2684]

This might sound crazy, but I'm new to this. Would I be able to actually see the mites?

 

[JadedPhoenix]

No. You could see the "dirt" or poo left behind if you dig through the feathers. It looks like TINY black flecks. It may not be what is wrong with your chick but that is the first thing that comes to mind when I saw the chick.