7 weeks and no tail feathers - normal or a breed discrepancy?

[WakaFlockaChickens]

I purchased a crested cream legbar and an olive egger (stated to be a cream legbar/black copper maran) as day old chicks, and now at 7 weeks, neither of them have tail feathers.

To make matters more confusing, my pure cream legbar isn’t really crested and has moss legs. To my understanding, legs should be yellow.

Is it due to less than stellar breeding? Late feather development? Or could they have Araucana in them? (That’s the only rumpless chicken I’m familiar with.) I am only using them for eggs so I’m not concerned about breed standard, but my curiosity has certainly gotten the best of me! Would love breed/genetic input!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm not familiar with those breeds, but some chicks will take time to grow in their tail feathers. Since chicks go through multiple molts as they grow it doesn't make sense to put energy into making tail feathers too early.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I haven't raised those breeds myself but it is common for different chicks to feather in at different rates. Cream legbars I believe have barred rock in their makeup and barred rocks can be notorious for slow feathering.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I purchased a crested cream legbar and an olive egger (stated to be a cream legbar/black copper maran) as day old chicks, and now at 7 weeks, neither of them have tail feathers.

To make matters more confusing, my pure cream legbar isn’t really crested and has moss legs. To my understanding, legs should be yellow.

Is it due to less than stellar breeding? Late feather development? Or could they have Araucana in them? (That’s the only rumpless chicken I’m familiar with.) I am only using them for eggs so I’m not concerned about breed standard, but my curiosity has certainly gotten the best of me! Would love breed/genetic input!

They might be rumpless. And the CCLB is not a CCLB.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Mmm...I think that's false.
BRs are fast-feathering typically. I've raised a few.
And CCLBs are, too.

Maybe they are there but they're not fast feathering here! My barred rocks can be without full feathering at 6 weeks old (I have only lines from one particular breeder though, but it's common). It's extremely frustrating. We have very limited genetics here though, so I bow to your wisdom!

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

That does make sense.
I think typically hatchery-quality American BRs are faster featherers.

Not saying these chicks aren't slow feathering, just that it probably is unrelated to any BR heritage.

Is that boy in your avatar one of those BRs? He's gorgeous!

Yup that is the man himself, from my first barred rock hatch in 2020. He is a very cool dude.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Yeah the Cream Legbar doesn't look pure to me and I'm a bit confused as to why it doesn't have tail feathers. Mine had full tails by at the latest three weeks. My Marans are being a bit slower to feather out but are cockerels and have at more tail than yours right now at five weeks. Are you sure they're not picking on each other?

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

It's weird, right?! I haven't seen any picking on each other at all. They are all the same age and have all been raised together from day one, and they just moved outside to the coop two weeks ago. They are my only chickens, so no established flock to fold into. I hand raised them and never witnessed any picking on each other, and I monitor them regularly now that they're out in the coop and have seen the usual chest bumping and peck on the back of the neck when they are establishing their order, but nothing aggressive. I assume if they were to be rough enough with each other to completely eradicate tail feather growth, I would have noticed! I'm sure they'd also have some pretty raw, red butts, too! I admit that these two are my most skittish, and prefer not to be picked up if they can avoid it so I haven't done a thorough check of their butts. There is lots of fluff back there though and I haven't seen any of their feathers left around the coop/run.

My assumption is that they have some rumpless genetics, but I always thought that the rumpless gene is kinda rare and can even be problematic, so it seems kind of odd that they would have it and be sold without any mention of it.

Certainly seems like the CCLB is not pure given the color of her legs and lack of significant crest. Makes me wonder if one of the "CCLB" birds they use for breeding is actually a mix and has passed some of these traits on? Specifically the rumpless piece since both of these chickens are supposedly CCLB or part CCLB. I don't know chicken genetics enough to figure it out!

Huh! I guess I'm not sure then! I will say typically when they feather pick, they do eat the feathers so you wouldn't necessarily see a bunch lying around. They're pretty well-feathered though so I would definitely consider being rumpless as a possibility! Definitely update as they age

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I haven't raised those breeds myself but it is common for different chicks to feather in at different rates. Cream legbars I believe have barred rock in their makeup and barred rocks can be notorious for slow feathering.

Mmm...I think that's false.
BRs are fast-feathering typically. I've raised a few.
And CCLBs are, too.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Maybe they are there but they're not fast feathering here! My barred rocks can be without full feathering at 6 weeks old (I have only lines from one particular breeder though, but it's common). It's extremely frustrating. We have very limited genetics here though, so I bow to your wisdom!

That does make sense.
I think typically hatchery-quality American BRs are faster featherers.

Not saying these chicks aren't slow feathering, just that it probably is unrelated to any BR heritage.

Is that boy in your avatar one of those BRs? He's gorgeous!