Black mold/mildew on tail feathers

[Juley]

Hi, so I’m a little concerned about my girl, she’s a 5 month old buff Orpington and I’ve noticed she’s had little black mold-looking specs on a few of her tail feathers. She’s an indoor chicken and I clean her coop daily so it’s always clean and dry. I use cedar wood shavings now that she’s older and I change them daily (she’s an only child lol so it’s not that hard to do for me). I do have a little bit of black mold in my bathroom, but her coop is far from there and I haven’t noticed any mold anywhere else in my house or in her coop. I bathe her regularly with animal friendly conditioning soap, rinse her with white vinegar and warm water, and even carefully blow dry her every time, making sure she is COMPLETELY dry (yes, she is very spoiled). She’s super happy and healthy, I was unemployed the first four months she was alive so she is FAR from neglected. I do bring her outside every day, but only when weather permits so it’s not like she’s ever out in the rain or snow getting wet. She’s also never had any other issues and I have checked to see if it was possibly mites. As said though, she’s an indoor chicken and I pay close attention to her to make sure she’s happy and healthy. I really can’t figure out what these “mold” spots are... all of her other feathers are healthy and clean, even by her vent. The only thing I can think of is that sometimes she likes to lay by her water bowl and gets a little wet, but not specifically by her tail feathers. Anyone know what this is/ how to treat it? Thanks!

Just came across this post while do a search for something else. There isn't anything wrong with the bird. The black mold looking stuff on her tail is referred to by breeders of buffs as "smut" or "peppering". It is excess black pigment in the feather. In chicks you may see little dots on their head and later those birds will develop smut on their tail feathers. Wish I would have seen this earlier to save you some worry.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just came across this post while do a search for something else. There isn't anything wrong with the bird. The black mold looking stuff on her tail is referred to by breeders of buffs as "smut" or "peppering". It is excess black pigment in the feather. In chicks you may see little dots on their head and later those birds will develop smut on their tail feathers. Wish I would have seen this earlier to save you some worry.

Thanks for the input! This thread is from 2019 but from time to time it's nice to have some fresh eyes on an old thread.

It looks like it the coloring of her feathers to me. If she came from a hatchery it's color leakage called "smutting".

I would not use Cedar shavings for her bedding. Use pine or aspen, you can also use puppy pads. Cedar is aromatic and can be harsh on a chickens delicate respiratory system.
I realize she is in the house and you want to keep her clean. Keep in mind that everytime you give her a bath, you are stripping out the natural oil in her feathers. Chickens have an oil gland that they utilize to spread oil through their feathers as they are preening. Dust bathing is one way that they keep feathers in condition (along with preening). I would try to minimize the times you give a bath.

Now, for you. The mold in your bathroom needs to be addressed. Your respiratory system and health needs to be considered as well. Try treating that with a bleach solution or you can find a mold killer in the cleaning section of most stores. Try to get that taken care of.