cockerel or mange?

[fat brown hen]

This is a 10-week-old hamburg from McMurray hatchery. It's supposed to be a sexed pullet, but the feathers look odd to me. A neighbor says it looks like it might have mange What's up with this chicken?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I'm not sure that chickens can get mange. It's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like a pullet. Can you get a comb picture?

 

[fat brown hen]

I'm not sure that chickens can get mange. It's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like a pullet. Can you get a comb picture?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Hmm, those legs look awfully big from that photo, but the comb is pretty small. I'm saying pullet. Some just have wonky feathers when they're young, it's likely she'll grow out of it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have a lavender EE chick with shredded feather that looks a bit like this. Are lavenders the only color that get shredded feather, or is it possible this bird may have it as well? @NatJ might know. Nat?

 

[fat brown hen]

I have a lavender EE chick with shredded feather that looks a bit like this. Are lavenders the only color that get shredded feather, or is it possible this bird may have it as well? @NatJ might know. Nat?

Very interesting, I had never heard of shredded feather before. It's hard to see from the photos and color pattern, but this bird is really scruffy.

 

[NatJ]

I have a lavender EE chick with shredded feather that looks a bit like this. Are lavenders the only color that get shredded feather, or is it possible this bird may have it as well? @NatJ might know. Nat?

I have only read about it in lavenders. Apparently there is something about the gene that causes lavender color that also causes the feathers to shred easily.

Here is a thread with a photo of a lavender bird that has badly shredded feathers: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/shredder-gene.1395143/

I've seen some chickens with scruffy feathers when young that improved as they grew up, and I think a few that did not. It seemed to be partly associated with feather texture (softer fluffy feathers were more of an issue than feathers of other textures: so an Orpington might have more trouble than a Leghorn.)

I have also seen chickens at the bottom of the pecking order have bad-looking feathers, partly from other chickens picking at the feathers, and I think maybe those birds didn't get enough peaceful time to preen their feathers and keep them in good condition.

I do not know what, if anything, is happening with the bird pictured in the first post. I am just throwing out some ideas that relate to feather quality.

As a practical matter, I would probably check the bird thoroughly for parasites (lice, mites, etc), and watch for a bit to see if it is being bullied or pestered by the others. If there is no obvious cause, I would just keep an eye on the situation and see if it improves over time.

I think this bird does look like a pullet.

 

[fat brown hen]

As a practical matter, I would probably check the bird thoroughly for parasites (lice, mites, etc), and watch for a bit to see if it is being bullied or pestered by the others. If there is no obvious cause, I would just keep an eye on the situation and see if it improves over time.

No sign of parasites but I dusted it with permethrin just in case. Could it be a frizzle?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

No sign of parasites but I dusted it with permethrin just in case. Could it be a frizzle?

She doesn't look like a frizzle.

 

[GlicksChicks]

The chick does look like a pullet.

Probably not something to worry about too bad. I would say give the chick more protein for better feather growth.