Slower to develop feathers?

Date sort Score sort
Tooshay89

Tooshay89

Chicken Tender
5 Years
Mar 25, 2016
745
2,863
271
Central Florida
We have three Easter Egger chicks that are approximately a week old.. I started noticing that two of the chicks have way more of their wing & tail feathers coming in, while the yellow EE is lagging behind. I haven't noticed much development since we got her. Is that normal? I could be totally overthinking this, but I figured I'd ask just to be safe, lol!





 
It may be lagging because it's actually a few days younger. Or it is different due to it being a different breed. Or it may be lagging in wing feather development because it is a cockerel. You will likely know by age six weeks if it develops a much pinker comb than the others.
 
Oh no! I really hope it's not a roo. I was hoping that maybe there might be another reason. I guess time will tell. We just found out that our Welsummer is a roo, so we're going to have to re-home him. No roosters allowed in the suburbs!
 
700

700



So...if I've got two chicks, same hatch, same breed ....it's possible the slower to feather is male.

These two are are only a week old, is it likely I've got a male and female here?
 
Don't panic yet. It's only one indicator, and isn't true in all breeds. Watch the comb over the next several weeks. Males tend to develop theirs earlier and it will have a pinkish hue compared to the pullet's more pale yellowish. By six weeks, you will have a better idea.
 
azygous said:
Don't panic yet. It's only one indicator, and isn't true in all breeds. Watch the comb over the next several weeks. Males tend to develop theirs earlier and it will have a pinkish hue compared to the pullet's more pale yellowish. By six weeks, you will have a better idea.
Click to expand...


I wouldn't panic, I'd be thrilled :)

After I ordered sexed pullets we decided to have our aggressive roosters butchered. We are currently without a rooster and I miss the crowing. Those are Wheaten Marans and the roosters are gorgeous! All of the other baby chicks have feathered at roughly the same rate. If I could go back in time I would have ordered a male, but I didn't think of it when we picked up the chicks.
 

Similar threads

P
Day Two Question - Missing feathers near the tail with a small opening
Replies
4
Views
227
Wyorp Rock
Wyorp Rock
K
    • Like
One of my chicks has ZERO tail feathers
2 3
Replies
22
Views
2K
NatJ
NatJ
kristina84
Easter egger roo/saphire jem chicks sex linked?
2
Replies
11
Views
372
Ridgerunner
Ridgerunner
D
5 week old chicks growing drastically different from each other.
2
Replies
15
Views
561
DarkAngel77
D
D
Cecal-like poo from one chick frequently
Replies
2
Views
142
Dynamissa
D

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom