3 month splash australorp, weird feathers?

[EllieandOlive]

I hatched a group of chicks from my full blue australorp parents a few months ago. I got a handful of splashes naturally. They all look the same, except this girl! It's like her feathers want to frizzle but don't. Is this a thing? I have bred over a hundred chicks from these parents and never seen this in an offspring.

 

[cherrynberry]

I hatched a group of chicks from my full blue australorp parents a few months ago. I got a handful of splashes naturally. They all look the same, except this girl! It's like her feathers want to frizzle but don't. Is this a thing? I have bred over a hundred chicks from these parents and never seen this in an offspring.

Does not look frizzled to me. They look...ruffled...? Have you checked for mites/lice?

 

[Silviaschicks]

Looks bullied or molting. Definitely not a frizzle

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

There is a feather shredding gene associated with lavender birds. Obviously yours is splash so it's not quite the same. I almost think that this can appear in just normal birds too. I had an English Orpington who had this same sort of tattered feather situation since feathering out and not as the result of lice, picking, rooster damage etc. She was the most dominant hen and was fed 28% protein while growing too so it wasn't a protein issue. The other two of the same variety had normal feathering so I'm not sure if it was a sort of "hygiene" issue of her not wanting to groom her feathers or just genetically wonky feathers. I'm not much help in the matter, just sharing my experience with this same situation I included pics of her at different ages and in comparison to her other Black English Orpington siblings.

 

[cherrynberry]

Looks bullied or molting. Definitely not a frizzle

Not molting at this young age. Honestly not sure what it is.

 

[Little Baby Bean]

Looks like my black cochin or my jersey giants feathers. They both have frayed feathers (Coco-cochin-is 3 months old and Minty-jersey giant-is more than a month) but I think it is normal! I think it is just what @Rhodebar Lover said about the frayed feather gene!

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Looks like my black cochin or my jersey giants feathers. They both have frayed feathers at 3 months too but I think it is normal! I think it is just what @Rhodebar Lover said about the frayed feather gene!

That's interesting you've seen this too! I think birds are just individuals and not all have the smooth feathers we're used to! I wonder if this is just more common in the "fluffy" breeds?

 

[Little Baby Bean]

That's interesting you've seen this too! I think birds are just individuals and not all have the smooth feathers we're used to! I wonder if this is just more common in the "fluffy" breeds?

Yeah probably either the fluffy breeds or the bigger ones. Coco(my black cochin) is giant and super fluffy and so sweet. Minty(jersey giant) is also huge at just a month or so but she is not super fluffy. But like ALL of Minty's feathers are frayed but I wonder if she will stay like that?

 

[EllieandOlive]

No one is getting bullied, they get along really well! I spend a lot of time with them so I feel I would have noticed. I'll have to check about the mites or lice. Do I just look on their skin under the feathers? Never dealt with them before.

She's the only one to look this way....don't they all catch the lice/mites of it's present in one?

 

[cherrynberry]

No one is getting bullied, they get along really well! I spend a lot of time with them so I feel I would have noticed. I'll have to check about the mites or lice. Do I just look on their skin under the feathers? Never dealt with them before.

She's the only one to look this way....don't they all catch the lice/mites of it's present in one?

Under her vent, wings, and the back of the neck. Does not hurt to check.