Newbie...chick w/ round "thing" on back...HELP! !? (Pics included)

[totallycity]

I just found this site a few minutes ago, I am very exited and have been reading for hours of previous posts. Keep in mind that I am totally new to this and totally a city gal that moved to the country & is trying to raise some pet chicks!

I have 13 chicks that are about 6 weeks old. They have been in outside coop/free ranging for some time and Lovin it! They are very spoiled & loved.

Today we noticed a round "thing" on one of the gals backs.
The best way I can describe it (can I even post pics on a topic question?) if so I do have pics to show of it.
Anyway it's round with segments (lines?) and it's fleshy, the top is crusted over.
Perfect circle, and feathers are around it. (growing from it?) Located under the wings in the center of her back.
She is seemily perfect healthy. Eating, drinking well, etc...
If I had to guess I would saw a parasite of some kind.
Please help me!!!! I have been online all night reasearching this and finding nothing.
What can I do? Do I call a vet? is it contagious? As far as I can tell she is the only one. I will check again in the morning each & every one.
Has anyone had this problem?
Any advice for a panicking nesting mom?

BTW: we are TOTALLY trying to be as organic & natural as God intended! (ok, close)

 

[totallycity]

Here's the "thing" in original post. (click on pic to enlarge)

Sure! (answering questions from Moderator post below) here is a bigger pic (I hope)
To answer your questions, it is DRY, that is very "crusty" on TOP (maybe former drainage.. or eek!, gags something waiting to come out!)

I don't know what an "open wound" is so I can't say.

"Exposed" I am again not sure what that question would mean.
It's in the center of her back, under the wings. We woudln't have even noticed it except she is our favorite and we often hold her.
It does have the "appearance" that feathers are coming out of it. (or maybe it's just around it)

PERFECTLY Round almost the size of my thumbnail (& she's only 6 weeks old) It's fleshy in that it feels like flesh, but crusty on top.
Basically it looks like a big 'ole meal worm all in a circle (because of the segments all the way around)

 

[silkiechicken]

Now that is a new one... could you get a closer pic? All I can think of is an ingrown feather that has gotten infected or something. Is it wet? Exposed? Could it be an open wound? All I know is that it's not "normal" but that doesn't mean it's life threatening so don't panic yet.

 

[Half-a-dozen]

sorry..probably not going to be much help here but....whatever it was looks like it was "open" at one point to develop the "crusty scab"...Maybe

I am not familuar with any other skin issues/ diseases a chicken might get.
Hope you get an answer soon...

 

[Sparrow]

I don't know if chickens get these, but Box Turtles around here and down in your region do a lot. Look up Bot fly or screw worm. The larval form lives inside a pocket of a living thing's(including humans at times) flesh, grows up, emerges as a fly, and flies away. On Box Turtles, they create a lump under the skin and they have a little open hole at the top through which they can stick out their breathing "tube". This area can be very crusty because of the host animal's body secretions. It's a farfetched idea, but since you mentioned parasite it is a thought.

It could also be a granular growth of some sort, benign or cancerous I'm not really sure. Could just be a really ugly chicken version of a wart. Can you wipe it gently with a wet rag? See if the crust comes off r not, that will tell you if it is actively oozing or if it is just the type of skin formation that it is.

I'm really curious about this one!

 

[dreammaker8482]

It almost looks like an abscess of some kind that may have already started to slowly drain. It could be caused by a parasite as well, so I'm not sure. I would probably see if there is a vet who will take a look at it....most of my vet friends love things like that (not to sound sick or something) because it's always interesting to see what exactly it is. I hope everything works out!

 

[dlhunicorn]

could be a couple things (including ring worm)
clean with hibiclens and have your vet take a look at it

 

[kelliepulido]

Wow I was just looking at this picture and my little chick has 2 areas that look like that.She has been picking abit at them and then when I picked her up I saw another area under her belly the 1st one is on her wing origianlly it was a small area without any fuzz then as feathers come in and she picks and preeens it seems to have crusted over and is larger like a carbuncle or wart.

 

[kelliepulido]

I cleaned both areas w/H202I think it is an ingrown feather.

 

[ncgnance]

Quote:
I remember, as a kid, that we used to have kittens in the spring that had what daddy called "wobbles." This sounds alot like that. They were usually up between the kitten's shoulders. I don't remember what happened to them. Squirrels and rabbits had them too. Daddy never hunted in the spring anyway. Some people in other parts of the country called the wobbles "wolves." I have no idea what they really are, but I know they are some kind of larvae. I don't remember our chickens having them.