Holiday saddle feather mystery....

[emrya]

so I was out sitting with the flock yesterday, first somewhat nice day I’ve been home before dark in a while, and noticed something odd about my Wyandotte cockerel. He is @5.5 months old, and was a lucky survivor of a hawk strike near the beginning of November.

Anyone have any idea of why he would be growing saddle feathers on only one side? The side with the saddle feathers is the wing that was broken in the hawk attack. He is about a third smaller than a hatchmate cockerel, has the off single comb for Wyandottes, and is very submissive- though his hatchmate isn’t really aggressive either. Neither has crowed yet, I think my Orpington roo is managing them pretty well.

Ideas?

 

[Redhead Rae]

I wonder if this bird is a hermaphrodite or a pullet with an injured ovary.

 

[emrya]

I thought about that.. maybe the former, but the wing patterning is more roo than hen, so I don’t think it’s a pullet.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I thought about that.. maybe the former, but the wing patterning is more roo than hen, so I don’t think it’s a pullet.

Can you get full body pictures of the bird's side while standing?

 

[Tonyg503504]

so I was out sitting with the flock yesterday, first somewhat nice day I’ve been home before dark in a while, and noticed something odd about my Wyandotte cockerel. He is @5.5 months old, and was a lucky survivor of a hawk strike near the beginning of November. View attachment 1624841 View attachment 1624842


Anyone have any idea of why he would be growing saddle feathers on only one side? The side with the saddle feathers is the wing that was broken in the hawk attack. He is about a third smaller than a hatchmate cockerel, has the off single comb for Wyandottes, and is very submissive- though his hatchmate isn’t really aggressive either. Neither has crowed yet, I think my Orpington roo is managing them pretty well.

Ideas?

 

[emrya]

Can you get full body pictures of the bird's side while standing?

Saddle feather side I have. I’ll go out in a bit for the other.

 

[Redhead Rae]

A picture, from either side, similar perspective to my Avatar photo (which includes the head) would be better so we get a sense of the whole bird.

 

[Cryss]

 

[emrya]

Well this is what we got.. he’s nosy and kept turning to look.

 

[MissChick@dee]

If he survived a hawk attack on that side his feathers won’t truly be replaced until his first molt aprox. At 18 months of age.