Toulouse Gosling is overpreening/itchy

[Calliegray123]

Hey everyone, looking for some advice for my gosling. I recently got a shipment of 4 chicks of various breeds and a gosling to help protect my backyard flock. They're all being raised together, but since about day 2-3 of having them, we started to notice a wet spot above her right wing, which has persisted for about a week now and actually has grown in size. It seems like she's constantly preening the area because it's itchy?

We tried giving her a little rinse and dry down thinking maybe something was in her down feathers, but this did not help. The skin looks irritated, but we couldn't see evidence of bugs... We did find a few yellowish TINY flakes down on the skin, but they looked almost like skin flakes or pieces of their food. I recently bought some permethrin but I'm nervous to dust her so young. Has anyone had experience with itchy/overpreening babies? I'm not sure what I can buy to treat her myself or if I should consult the vet?

The other chicks don't seem to be itchy so I'm not even sure it's a mite problem or something.

 

[Isadora]

Would you include a photo?
Maybe she's getting some new feathers in. That can irritate / itch them.

 

[Calliegray123]

Would you include a photo?
Maybe she's getting some new feathers in. That can irritate / itch them.

I will definitely include a photo later today, totally spaced grabbing one this morning. I thought maybe it could be new feathers too, but it seems really localized and she's only a week old which is too early for new feathers from what I understand, but she is my first goose!

 

[Calliegray123]

Would you include a photo?
Maybe she's getting some new feathers in. That can irritate / itch them.

Here's the best photos I can grab for now, they show the wet spot that's been there for days where she overpreens it. I'll get a good one of the skin when I can get home.

 

[Isadora]

Yeah, unfortunately I can't really see what's going on in that picture.
What is their brooder set up like?
I was thinking if they were a little bit lacking on space sometimes they pick on each other.

 

[Calliegray123]

Totally understandable, those pictures are not the best lol
Their brooder is currently one of the XL wardrobe boxes with of course the heat lamp, large flake pine bedding, food/water. They seem to have plenty of space (for now). I'm sure we will need to upgrade because the goose will outgrow it very quickly, but there doesn't seem to be feather picking or any fighting among any of them. The chicks actually love the goose, I think they think she's the mom because she's big. They follow her around and just want to snuggle haha.

Yeah, unfortunately I can't really see what's going on in that picture.
What is their brooder set up like?
I was thinking if they were a little bit lacking on space sometimes they pick on each other.

 

[Isadora]

Totally understandable, those pictures are not the best lol
Their brooder is currently one of the XL wardrobe boxes with of course the heat lamp, large flake pine bedding, food/water. They seem to have plenty of space (for now). I'm sure we will need to upgrade because the goose will outgrow it very quickly, but there doesn't seem to be feather picking or any fighting among any of them. The chicks actually love the goose, I think they think she's the mom because she's big. They follow her around and just want to snuggle haha.

Oh good, very good. A lot of times people underestimate how much space babies need.

 

[Calliegray123]

Isadora, here's some good pictures finally! I also noticed a couple things. The original spot she was grooming seems to have moved more towards the center of her back, and there's visible black specks, like new feathers? But I thought she was too young? And lastly, a fuzzy gray bump right above her tail... Im guessing that's her oil gland developing?

Oh good, very good. A lot of times people underestimate how much space babies need.

 

[Isadora]

Yes, that bump is her oil gland.
They really do grow up quicker than you'd think.

 

[Flawedprophecy]

Did you find out what was going on? Im struggling with this as well.