Polish Monk

[trudyg]

My Polish chick (14 weeks) looks like a monk, he has feathers on his head but for a round bald spot in the middle. Here's a picture, but it's not too good.


He's real skittish, so I haven't picked him up to look closer and, quite frankly, my eyes aren't so good and I'd need a magnifier to tell if it was bugs or something. None of the other birds peck at him and he doesn't seem to itch. I'm tempted to put some neosporin on it but wouldn't want to aggravate anything. I have trimmed his 'bangs' so he can see and he's just so spunky--looks like dreadlocks. Thanks for any advice.

 

[nchls school]

Sorry. The picture is too dark to give any opinion.

 

[trudyg]

It looks like rough skin, reddish but not bloody, It used to be fully feathered.

 

[nchls school]

It looks like rough skin, reddish but not bloody, It used to be fully feathered.

I would think that he is being plucked. Are you sure it is a rooster?

 

[trudyg]

He sure acts like a rooster. His tail is hooked like a rooster. But, at 14 weeks, I guess he could be female. I don't see anyone else plucking at him, don't see him rubbing his head. What sould I do for it? I could put bluekote on it and, it if's plucking, then the others would stop? I can give him a dose of safeguard paste or even smear it on there, would that stop mites? I haven't seen any evidence of mites or lice.

 

[trudyg]

I just went out and sevin dusted the entire coop/roosts. I couldn't catch individual birds yet, but I did manage to get some dust on his head. Tonight, I will go out and put ivermectin drops on them. Other than that, I don't know what to do. I plan to butcher 2 of my cockerels next weekend, so I may not put the drops on those 2 because they won't be here long enough for it to wear off before eating. It's 28 days,right? We want to eat them for Christmas dinner.

 

[nchls school]

I just went out and sevin dusted the entire coop/roosts.  I couldn't catch individual birds yet, but I did manage to get some dust on his head.  Tonight, I will go out and put ivermectin drops on them.  Other than that, I don't know what to do.  I plan to butcher 2 of my cockerels next weekend, so I may not put the drops on those 2 because they won't be here long enough for it to wear off before eating.  It's 28 days,right?  We want to eat them for Christmas dinner.

If you can, post another picture of his head. This does not sound like lice or mites to me. Male or female, it looks like he is being plucked, or, was being plucked.

 

[trudyg]

Here's a better picture. He does maybe look plucked. Should I do anything? I don't see anyone touching him.

 

[nchls school]

When I look at the picture it looks like there are feathers coming in (not sure). Look and see. Is there new pin feathers coming in? Also, post a profile picture of this "rooster" if you can. The neck feathering does not look like a rooster, but with white birds it is hard to get a good picture.

 

[trudyg]

Out of all the birds I've ever had, if this one's not a cockerel then I'm all wet. He was the most alert and spunky from day one. I had 2 polish chicks and the other was not at all like this one, had to cull her due to (I think) encephalitis. (She would spin in a circle, always the same way, had her neck cocked to one side, didn't eat or drink--FL state ag center symptom list showed equine enc.). Anyway, tonight this little guy is chasing my pullets and pecking/biting them on the tail/back. He usually grabs them by the comb and tweaks them real good. My 2 grown girls give him h*** for it and he keeps it up. He has the curled over tail feathers, a real spread of them. Not so much shoulder feathering or any reddening that is obvious (he's fast and I don't catch them if I don't absolutely have to). I have trimmed his feathers so he can see what's around him I'll try to get a picture, but whether he's a cockerel or a pullet really shouldn't make a difference. DH says the others are probably pecking him because he's a pain in their backsides. Could be, but I haven't seen anyone peck him EVER.