Three week old chick bald and raw on chest -- Seeking advice

[chicken_joe]

Hello! I am a first time chicken owner. We picked up one easter egger and two Orpingtons two weeks ago, so our chicks are probably about 3 weeks old. We've kept them in a fairly small 2x3 foot plastic tub brooder with wood flake bedding. Today, when moving them into a larger brooder space, we noticed that our easter egger has a bald spot from her chest to her butt. At first we thought her feathers were just wet, but after a closer look realized that most of them were completely missing and the rest looked stumpy and raw. Her poop has also been runny lately. Other than that, her behavior seems normal. Neither of the Orpingtons have any issues. All the chicks are eating chick starter.

Is this just normal molting? Could this be due to overcrowding? Stress? We're not sure what to do. We're hoping that upgrading the chicks to a larger space will help.

It's also possible that the chicks got a little wet. They like to splash their water around sometimes it makes their bedding wet.

 

[nuthatched]

Do they have something to roost on?

 

[chicken_joe]

Hi @nuthatched! Thanks for your quick response. Yes, I made them a little perch out of dowels and scrap wood like this. Perhaps the wood is rough and rubbing against the her chest? But then I'd expect to see the wear on the other chicks as well?

 

[nuthatched]

Hi @nuthatched! Thanks for your quick response. Yes, I made them a little perch out of dowels and scrap wood like this. Perhaps the wood is rough and rubbing against the her chest? But then I'd expect to see the wear on the other chicks as well?

The wood is fine but they are likely cramped in the bin that could be complicating things

 

[chicken_joe]

The wood is fine but they are likely cramped in the bin that could be complicating things

Ok, that's good to hear. We've upgraded them to a larger space. Hopefully that will help.

But you don't think it's an infection? Should I try to treat it with anything?