Chicks looking rough!

[trixiecheeto]

My seven polish chicks are three weeks old now and they look awful. Is it because of their new feathers coming in or what? Any guesses?

 

[duckylover2201]

Can you post a picture? If they have little sticks coming out of their skin those are called pin feathers and those are just a part of them growing and getting feathers instead of fluffs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I call that the ”vulture” stage. Imagine a group of 3 week old black austalorps lined up on a small perch. Rough is a good way to describe how their feathers look at that age.

Pictures always help but that sounds perfectly normal.

 

[trixiecheeto]

Thanks! Yeah it looks like little sticks poking through. Glad to hear all that's normal. I feel sorry for them tho'. How long does this stage last?

 

[duckylover2201]

They will actually continue to happen throughout their lives and it will probably last quit a while depending on how rapid their development is. They only have pain with pin feathers whenever they are touch because they can feel them while they are still purple (full of blood) one the sheath around the feather is white it will start to dissolve and at the point at which they dissolve they will turn from purple/red to white.
God Bless and Good Luck!

 

[trixiecheeto]

Thanks for all the info.!!!