Hello! 1st post. New pullet is missing tail! Will it grow back??

[kristenm1975]

I traded two sweet, beautiful little banty hens for one similar age standard pullet, only to discover upon getting her home that she has had her tail feathers pecked down to what looks like bone. I'm VERY new to chicken raising, so I'm sure she doesn't actually have bone sticking out of her backside, but she does not have any feathers there, just tiny short white tip quills arranged in a circle on the white protrusion where I would have expected nice tall tail feathers. She's a black maran and otherwise appears to be healthy.

I fully admit I was foolish to not have looked her over more carefully, but I didn't know what I should be looking for. The lady I traded with didn't say anything about the bird being pecked on a lot.

What I'm wondering is, will her feathers grow back? What else should I look for that would indicate that I should ask for compensation?

Thank you for any and all help!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Look under her wings and on the skin on the back of her neck to see if you can see lice or fleas. Do you have other chickens? I would quarantine her for 30 days before adding her in with yours..there are lots of horror stories here with losing whole flocks by putting a sick bird in with their current flock. I would contact this lady and ask her what's up! Good luck!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Oh and yes feathers DO grow back but it can take a few months. I hope the feathers is all she is missing. Can you take some pictures, maybe some one with experience can help you out.

 

[kristenm1975]

I emailed the woman I got my new maran from and she assured me she isn't missing feathers really, but that they just haven't grown in yet because she's just now feathering out. I would assume that means she's younger than three months. My other three (silver-laced wyandotte, aracauna, and blue cochin) I got at 3 months old and they were beautifully feathered out, long tails and all.

The woman seems really knowledgeable though and handles chickens like a dream (my feisty, flighty banties actually went to sleep in her arms!!) so I'm hoping what she says is true.

 

[shaylee]

Except for some young brahmas, my chickens were all fully feathered in a couple of months. I would keep her separate and watch her once you put her in with the general population. I have a cochin in with everyone else that needs to be separated as she wont grow her feathers back in due to being picked on by the others. (she was given to me with other cochins and had been attacked by a guinea. ) She has no scabs anymore, just a smooth naked butt that is not a PRETTY SIGHT, LOL. I am positive that once I separate her she will grow her feathers back.

Yes, do the mite check also. The quills are feathers coming in, just in case you didnt know.