Is there something wrong with my BCM pullets feathers?

[Brb0891]

My BCM pullet is about 10.5 weeks old and her feathers look horrible. Is this normal? I have two and the one looks normal compared to her. I've never raised them before so i don't know if this is permanent or if she'll grow better adult feathers. She seems perfectly healthy otherwise.

 

[GodLovesU]

Have you checked her for mites?

 

[Brb0891]

Have you checked her for mites?

No I haven't, she's not a people person. I have twenty pullets in the coop. Half of them sit on my lap and they don't have mites. They've had a dust bath since they were two weeks old with diatomaceous dirt that they use frequently. She's looked rough like this since she was 4 weeks old.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Check her at night, after she's gone to roost. But generally if one chicken has mites, they all do. If she were a lavender bird, I would think she looks like she has the shredded feather gene. I don't know if black chickens get it. Maybe @coach723 or @MysteryChicken would know?

 

[CoopBoots]

I agree on a checkup for mites/lice, just to rule it out. I'd catch and check her oil/preen gland at the base of the tail and compare appearance to her flockmates.

What do they eat currently?

 

[Brb0891]

Check her at night, after she's gone to roost. But generally if one chicken has mites, they all do. If she were a lavender bird, I would think she looks like she has the shredded feather gene. I don't know if black chickens get it. Maybe @coach723 or @MysteryChicken would know?

I can check her but I don't think it's mites.

I agree on a checkup for mites/lice, just to rule it out. I'd catch and check her oil/preen gland at the base of the tail and compare appearance to her flockmates.

What do they eat currently?

Right now it's 3/4 20% grower and 1/4 18%. Dumor and Purina crumbles with a few meal worms a couple times a week. They eat a 27lb feeder full every week.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Do you have any cockerels or roosters trying to mate her?

 

[Yard Farmer]

She's almost due for her 2nd, or 3rd premature molt. Those *might* just be her baby feathers that got shredded...?

But, I would definitely check for mites. I've had a bird look very similar to that and she was infested....

 

[Brb0891]

Do you have any cockerels or roosters trying to mate her?

I don't have any roosters, I thought two might be cockerels of the same age but they haven't grown any combs or wattles and they're still yellow/pale pink not red. I haven't seen any of that between them either.

 

[Brb0891]

She's almost due for her 2nd, or 3rd premature molt. Those *might* just be her baby feathers that got shredded...?

But, I would definitely check for mites. I've had a bird look very similar to that and she was infested....

I was thinking she might grow new ones. The barnevelders are just starting to get double laced feathers so she should be growing new ones as well.