Extremely slow feathering Rhode Island red pullet

[ella2025]

Here is Red. She is a Rhode Island red and she is 14 1/2 weeks old in this photo. Her feathers have always been painfully slowly growing ever since birth, even much slower than the brahmas and silkies I've raised. She still looks super scruffy and weird. At this age all her 3 siblings are super fluffy and have a thick layer of nice looking feathers on them. Her body weight is normal and she is healthy and active. She is currently on Purina 20% all flock raider feed. Is something wrong with her?

'siblings'

her as a chick, this was 5 ish weeks

9 wks, her feathers haven't changed almost at all from then.

Is she okay?

 

[Beau plus penny]

Here is Red. She is a Rhode Island red and she is 14 1/2 weeks old in this photo. Her feathers have always been painfully slowly growing ever since birth, even much slower than the brahmas and silkies I've raised. She still looks super scruffy and weird. At this age all her 3 siblings are super fluffy and have a thick layer of nice looking feathers on them. Her body weight is normal and she is healthy and active. She is currently on Purina 20% all flock raider feed. Is something wrong with her?
View attachment 4222861'siblings'View attachment 4222863View attachment 4222864her as a chick, this was 5 ish weeks
View attachment 4222865
9 wks, her feathers haven't changed almost at all from then.View attachment 4222866
Is she okay?

I think her is actually a him

 

[ella2025]

I think her is actually a him

I bought her straight run so it's possible. If she was a he, shouldn't her comb be gigantic at this point? It's still very small and pale which doesn't seem possible for a Cockerel.

 

[SJsChickies]

I think her is actually a him

I was thinking that at first too but then I re-read that she's 14.5 weeks old. Don't you think pointed saddle feathers would be in by now and it would have a super red comb and big wattles?

 

[ella2025]

I was thinking that at first too but then I re-read that she's 14.5 weeks old. Don't you think pointed saddle feathers would be in by now and it would have a super red comb and big wattles?

Exactly what I'm thinking. She's always worried me a little because her feathers just WOULD. NOT. GROW. But she doesn't look like a cockerel.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I think her is actually a him

Sorry, I disagree. At 14 weeks, that's almost assuredly a pullet with her tiny little comb and rounded feathers at the saddle.

I've had birds that are slow to feather in both my flocks. Everyone kind of develops at their own rate. If you don't see her acting off otherwise, I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[ella2025]

Another strange thing about her is her feathers are kind of separated strand by strand, it's barely noticeable in most places but if you look closely a good amount of her feathers aren't "stuck together" flat feathers.

 

[Project Blue]

It might just be a genetic variant. I'm a bit of a nitpicker when it comes to feathering and have noticed even close siblings don't have the same quality feathering in my Ameraucanas when I outcross. I'm guessing RIR breeders are more concerned with egg production than appearance, so maybe she'll be an excellent producer. Anyway, I imagine on a commercial level they have a large number of birds and only hatch from the best producers, not who has the prettiest feathers. Though I must say show quality RIR's are dazzling birds and hopefully breeders will continue to keep them in their flocks. I've also heard meat birds being bred for loose feathers for easier processing. I see a lot of trucks carrying sad half bald birds heading for the factory with a blizzard of white feathers floating along the highway behind them, so maybe there is something to that.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Close coat and a pullet to me.