Chick Without A Tail & Copper On Cochin??

[ChickenGirl555]

I got a Splash Orpington and Black Cochin Bantam from a swap meet in mid-March (among the 11 total I got). I’m pretty sure the orp is a cockerel (although please let me know what you think) and the Cochin is a Pullet.

My Splash has always been healthy and typical, no odd behavior or any health problems—not even pasty butt. He’s a perfect little boy (who I unfortunately won’t be keeping due to his gender), but he doesn’t have a tail?? Is this a breed thing? A blue Orp I got from the same guy at the same time has a perfectly normal tail and is equally as healthy. Should I worried? I’m not really worried, I’m just fascinated. I want to know if it’s just this one chicken or if it’s a part of the breed’s development.
Now the Cochin....She is of course equally healthy and brought home at the same time/swap as the orps (but different breeder). Yet...while her sister from the same breeder is feathering out nicely and completely black...this perfect little dumpling of feathers has started growing copper colored hackles just like my Black Copper Maran! Is this something that will go away? Is it another random mutation or something?? Again, not concerned, just fascinated.

Please tell me anything you might know cause it’s so interesting! Or it could just be a crappy breeder...either way, inform me! I have pictures of each chick below to reference.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It can be normal for Orpington cockerel to take a long time to grow in their tail feathers. As long as he's acting fine I wouldn't worry.

The Cochin could be a mixed color. The red generally doesn't go away, and usually it comes in more and more, but time will tell.

 

[Chicken poppy]

i just have a question (Seems fine Though)* Whats the age? Its probably just underdeveloped , tails take a while to grow, and if not it could just be a tail that isnt fully grown yet. (meaning its shorter then others and it was like that at birth)

 

[ChickenGirl555]

i just have a question (Seems fine Though)* Whats the age? Its probably just underdeveloped , tails take a while to grow, and if not it could just be a tail that isnt fully grown yet. (meaning its shorter then others and it was like that at birth)

They were hatched around mid-March, so they're still young. This is probably what's happening, but I was hoping for some really cool genetics answer . Oh well, but thank you!

The Cochin could be a mixed color. The red generally doesn't go away, and usually it comes in more and more, but time will tell.

The breeder was supposed to be very reputable and its twin sis/bro is still fully black. I'm not doubting you at all, but is this just a mutation or is it really the breeder's fault? Is red/copper like a Black Copper Maran a common defect/thing?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Red should never bleed through on a black Cochin. I'm no genetic expert though. I believe the two base colors of chickens is black and red. So if a black is showing red it has some other color crossed in at some point.

Hopefully someone more familiar with color genetics can help out.

 

[Chicken poppy]

They were hatched around mid-March, so they're still young. This is probably what's happening, but I was hoping for some really cool genetics answer . Oh well, but thank you!

The breeder was supposed to be very reputable and its twin sis/bro is still fully black. I'm not doubting you at all, but is this just a mutation or is it really the breeder's fault? Is red/copper like a Black Copper Maran a common defect/thing?

Of course! But whatever it is your chicken seems just fine

 

[FuzzyCritters]

The orpington is just slow to grow his tail. If his is healthy otherwise, his feathers are slow growing (and that is normal for orps).

The cochin is a Brown Red cochin. Brown Red is recessive to black, so two black parents carrying the genes for brown red can produce a brown red chick. It's definitely not the breeder mixing colors! They might not even know the line carries brown red.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Thanks for all the help and cool genetics facts! Now I can't wait for them to finish maturing and I get to see their beauty as adults!

 

[sassychickens76]

I had a "black" cochin bantam that had red on his hackles. As he got older it came in on his wings too. Then I had to sell him because he was a cockerel, but his owner says he got even more red as he got older.