cockerel or mange?

[NatJ]

No sign of parasites but I dusted it with permethrin just in case.

Sounds good

Could it be a frizzle?

I don't think so. Frizzled feathers usually stick out a bit differently than that.

Here are two threads that have photos of frizzles (first post of each thread):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/frizzle-roo-or-hen.778518/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/12-13-weeks-old-boy-or-girl-frizzle.908242/

 

[fat brown hen]

@NatJ Here's an update on scruffy bird. It's almost 5 months old and has grown all new feathers. It still looks strange. Could it be a silkie of some sort?
This is what the hatchery thinks it should look like: https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/silver_spangled_hamburgs.html

 

[NatJ]

@NatJ Here's an update on scruffy bird. It's almost 5 months old and has grown all new feathers. It still looks strange. Could it be a silkie of some sort?
This is what the hatchery thinks it should look like: https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/silver_spangled_hamburgs.html

Interesting.

I do not think it is a Silkie, or even has the silke feathering gene. I think the feathers look more normal than that. I'm pretty sure it is not a frizzle (which was also brought up earlier in the thread.)

Unfortunately, I do not know what IS going on. If the bird seems healthy and happy, I would probably not worry about it, and just consider it one of the weird things that sometimes happen with chickens. I would probably not hatch eggs from her, to avoid passing on any genes that may be involved.

Her coloring is interesting, because the spangles are so small and nicely separated. As you saw from the hatchery photos, most Silver Spangled Hamburgs have more black than that. I do think it is the same basic color pattern, not a result of mixing with anything else. For a backyard pet (not for show or breeding), I think it is a pretty nice effect, even though it is probably "wrong" for the breed.

 

[fat brown hen]

Interesting.

I do not think it is a Silkie, or even has the silke feathering gene. I think the feathers look more normal than that. I'm pretty sure it is not a frizzle (which was also brought up earlier in the thread.)

She looks furry/disheveled to me... The primary wing feathers aren't flat and sleek like on a normal bird. If that's a normal thing that can happen, then I won't worry about it. Just want to make sure it's not disease/mites/etc. I appreciate your input.

 

[NatJ]

She looks furry/disheveled to me... The primary wing feathers aren't flat and sleek like on a normal bird. If that's a normal thing that can happen, then I won't worry about it. Just want to make sure it's not disease/mites/etc. I appreciate your input.

I don't know enough to be certain, but I don't see any particular reason to suspect disease or mites, especially since they would be likely to spread to all the birds in the flock. You've already tried treating this bird for some of those (I noticed the mention of permethrin earlier), and you have other chickens but are not worried about them so I assume their feathering is normal. So that makes it more likely that this bird is just an oddity rather than having a problem of some sort

@NatJ Here's an update on scruffy bird. It's almost 5 months old and has grown all new feathers. It still looks strange. Could it be a silkie of some sort?
This is what the hatchery thinks it should look like: https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/silver_spangled_hamburgs.html

@MysteryChicken does the bird in this post ^ look like it has silkie feathering? It doesn't look silkied to me, but I don't have much experience with that trait, so I'm not completely certain.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I don't know enough to be certain, but I don't see any particular reason to suspect disease or mites, especially since they would be likely to spread to all the birds in the flock. You've already tried treating this bird for some of those (I noticed the mention of permethrin earlier), and you have other chickens but are not worried about them so I assume their feathering is normal. So that makes it more likely that this bird is just an oddity rather than having a problem of some sort




@MysteryChicken does the bird in this post ^ look like it has silkie feathering? It doesn't look silkied to me, but I don't have much experience with that trait, so I'm not completely certain.

Some good closer in focus pictures would help.
The wings do look shredded like that of a silkie, but the tail doesn't follow.

This could be due to an autoimmune disease. I've read about an autoimmune disease that causes messy feathers, will have to find it.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Here's a screenshot, but can't access article for name of it.

 

[fat brown hen]

Here's a screenshot, but can't access article for name of it.
View attachment 3912546

Wow! That looks exactly like what I'm seeing here! Thank you so much @MysteryChicken and thank you @NatJ ! I found the article -- it's actually a book chapter, and the autoimmune disease that causes the feather shredding is vitiligo. Super interesting! Reading more on this now.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Wow! That looks exactly like what I'm seeing here! Thank you so much @MysteryChicken and thank you @NatJ ! I found the article -- it's actually a book chapter, and the autoimmune disease that causes the feather shredding is vitiligo. Super interesting! Reading more on this now.

The shredded feathers are from a different autoimmune disease. I just can't locate the name if it for some reason.
Vitiligo causes depigmentation of the feathers, & skin of a chicken but not shredding.

 

[fat brown hen]

The shredded feathers are from a different autoimmune disease. I just can't locate the name if it for some reason.
Vitiligo causes depigmentation of the feathers, & skin of a chicken but not shredding.

if you PM me with an email address, i can send you the book chapter.