Week four: A breakthrough and bald spots

Loretta’s been playing hard to get.

Literally.

Every time I reach in to pick her up, she runs screaming. Once I have her securely in my hands, she frantically wiggles her wings free and beats them until I put her down. I was convinced she hated me.

Until tonight.

I managed to pick her up, then allowed her to steady herself on my arm. She took to the new perch, and settled. I softly ran my fingers over her back feathers and her tail. Amazingly, she let me.

After a few minutes of this, I gently placed her back in the brooder. Then the unthinkable happened. She let me pet her. I rubbed her chest, and smoothed her black feathers.

Is her wall beginning to crumble?

Bare spots

When I got home tonight, I noticed a bare spot beneath Gigi’s ear. I checked, and she had a matching spot on the other side, as well.

One by one, I looked at each bird, and they all had these small patches beneath their ears.

Of course I worried.

I saw no blood, so I didn’t think they were caused by pecking. And since they all had them, it had to be normal, right?

So I went to BackYardChickens.com, and found nothing in a search. I tried Google. Nothing but balding babies. Then I decided to start my own thread on BYC.

After explaining the situation, and posting a photo of Nellie, I got a quick response.

“That’s completely normal. It will develop into their earlobe as they get older. :)”

And with that, this mama hen promises to stop worrying.

At least for tonight.