Late feather on chicks

[DebD]

I have 3 BAs we hatched. They are 4 weeks old. They are losing down but there is mostly skin w/out mature feathers on two out of the three. Only one seems to have feathered out as quickly as our RIRs. Is late feathering normal for BA chicks? Or should we be concerned? They are healthy, otherwise, and are on a high protein chick starter feed and the three were hatched together (eggs came from a hatchery.)

 

[Hucklekree]

Following as I have had two chicks this year, different breeds: 1 andalusian and 1 speckled sussex that are way behind on feathering. They are hatching stock as well.

 

[Chickstarrs]

I just found this thread? How are your BA chicks doing now? I have 4 that are now 9 weeks old. They were slower to feather than my other chicks, having bare patches under the wings, but they were not as bare as the pictures you showed. Are they have grown some more feathers.

 

[PasoRoblesEgger]

Happy to find this thread, as I have a BA chick that has this same issue. Only one of the six looks like this, it acts fine. The others are not picking on her. But her neck and under her wings are pretty bare. Mine is almost 6 weeks old.

Should I be doing something to supplement her?

 

[DebD]

Well, I think the weird looking one has something else besides BA in its line. It's feet were yellow and had quite a bit more white feathers than the others. I gave the three to a friend b/c we have bought 4 purebreds from a lady, Pat Whitaker, who has been breeding BAs for 10 years. We really want to focus on line breeding. She said they are a little slow but not THAT slow. So, I won't know how long it takes them to feather out until we hatch our own. Maybe hatchery BAs are bred for egg-laying and they lose some of their original genetics. I did notice that the Turken-looking one was feathering out from the back of the head, down the neck. Very slowly.

 

[cyfarian]

I had the SAME EXACT thing happen, but mine have even less feathers than yours. I ordered BA or BO eggs from Meyer's hatchery this summer. The BOs feathered as expected, but the BAs have been painstakingly slow and look just like yours. At first I thought they were males and that was the reason for the slow feathering, but they are now 2 months old and their combs/waddles don't suggest males at all.

I called Meyer's hatchery and they said they hadn't had any other complaints. Where did you get your eggs from @DebD & @Chickstarrs? If it was also Meyers, that would start to make more sense.

I have started giving them cooked eggs every other day this past week to try to increase their protein (they are fed organic grower). One is FINALLY getting some feathers in. The other looks half-naked still.

EDIT:Also, I ordered 15 BA pullets & 1 BA cockerel chicks Cackle earlier this summer and they all feathered out normally.

 

[Chickstarrs]

Since I live in Canada, I cannot get chicks from Meyers. We have very few hatcheries here so I got mine from backyard breeders. Turns out I have one cockerel and 3 pullets. They are much better feathered now at 13 weeks but still thin under the wings. They look a lot like vultures The male is definitely the scruffiest of the group. I will try to get some pictures today or tomorrow to compare. I haven't taken any in while so it is time to get back out there with the camera.

 

[Chickstarrs]

Here are some pictures of my BAs that I took today. @cyfarian how do they compare with yours?

 

[cyfarian]

Yours are WAY more feathered out. I will try to remember to post pics of mine tomorrow. How old are yours?

 

[Chickstarrs]

They are 12-13 weeks