It probably is a bruise where the hen has pinched or stood on the chick.

Calling the vet to be sure is the wisest thing to do.

Also keep in mind that with lovebirds the male is apt to be aggressive towards the chicks. 

Was the cock in the nest box and did he help feed or if he is around, does he help feed?

 

Overheating is another cause for a crop to be slightly darker than the other skin but I don't think it would be mistaken for a bruise.

How does it feel to the touch? Is it warmer than the breast? Warmer than the feet?

 

Without seeing the chick it is difficult to guess and when it comes to their well being guessing is the last thing we want to do....

 

That's about the age when my parents would routinely start biting feathers off their babies.  My first guess would be a bite from a parent.  And if the crop is looking really empty, they probably aren't feeding it often enough.  Do you have what you need to take over care?

Wow, great questions and suggestions from members, thanks. The over all consensus seems to be a call to a vvet. The hen plucks a bit aggressively and it was a pinch. That is all. I dd feed it yesterday, which upset the mama quite a lot. She gave it a thorough cleaning and feeding after that. Almost as if to say " I got it here lady, dont interfere!" I have touched and handled the chick regularily, and there is no change in behavior, appitite, motion, activity, nothing that would suggest injury or illness. If anything, it is getting more and more adventurous by the day. My husband has become the chicks own personal Disney Land. He lays on the couch witht he chick, and it climbs all over him. he is adorable when he does this because he is a 6'2 man who weighs around 200 lbs, and he is cooing and humming lullabies to this little chick ~ priceless. 

Thanks to all of you who responded, now we have the best cared for chick! It is the only one out of seven to hatch, so it is spoiled rotten and super doted on.

He is doing great! Just wanted to let everyone who was so helpful know that he is fine. The mark is gone, it was a pinch after all. On that, why do the hens pluck the chicks? It is obviously driving my very over protective husband crazy. He spends several hours a day with Ceasar (I've named the chick today!) and woould love to know why she is doing this.

I was surprised to hear that the mama was unhappy that you had fed the chick... I had thought she was trying to wean and have it leave the nest, or a jealous male.

 

Usually the smaller birds are expected to fledge faster than the longer lived larger birds... Between eighteen days and twentyone days for some. Then the hen will begin to pluck the chicks to ease it out of the nest.

Most owners will pull the chicks rather than have a pattern of bad behaviour begin with either the hen or the chick... 

 

I think it's great that Ceasar is being spoiled but remember the old saying "what you start is what you'll end up with" 

 

I'm sorry it dawned on me I failed to mention that the hens will pluck the chick when it is time for the chick to leave the nest, as they may want to begin another clutch and the "plucked feathers" is helpful to line the nest...

Cockatoo's will actually pluck the chick, pluck the cock and then pluck her own breast for feathers to make a nest... and the bare spot on a hens breast keeps the eggs warmer. That part of the skin feels super warm to the touch. Just like a hot water bottle... 

Scotts, My hubby wasw thrilled to hear it! lol. He's been waiting for the right time to pull the chick and take on all the feeding and parenting duties himself. The hen, Theo, has had several successful clutches, but they aren't surviving so well now.

She started out with laing four eggs, and hatching four eggs. She then started laying five, and hatching all of them. The third clutch wasn't so successful, she had one die. Now, this guy is the sole living chick out of five that did initially hatch, the chicks just died within the first day or night.

We have removed nestboxes, taken away any incentive to nest there was, but she continues, now they are trying to breed again, and I worry for her.

Her parents were our first lovies, and they are still laying unfertalized eggs. We have tried to stop them, to no avail. I wonder if these two are going to do the same.

Lildee you are going to have to possibly make sure the hen has a well balanced diet with all the reproducing she seems to have been doing if I read that correctly.

 

At the same time the diet has to be one that doesn't induce her to lay. I know absolutely nothing about Lovies, their habits or diets or what they lack when laying.

 

I'm sure there are some good Lovies sites on the web with owners who have first hand knowledge on their habits and diet..

 

I always felt when I had clear eggs, unfertilized eggs or soft shell eggs... That the hen needed a rest/or a diet change.  Have you spoken to the vet for suggestions as to adding any supplements? Would the cock be distressed if they were in different cages? Or would it be the hen? I'd be tempted to go that route for a few months....

 

This baby will be spoiled!  do you have a name for him?