Mangy tail feathers on young Cuckoo Maran

[HenlightenMe]

Hello folks (or should I say "yolks" ),

First time chicken owner and first time poster with a question about feather health. We have a small flock of Cuck Marans and White Orpingtons. They are now ~15 weeks old and we got them as day old chicks.

One of the Marans in particular has some mangy looking tail feathers right now and I'm not sure what the issue could be. Currently it's the only one of our chickens that looks like this, and I'm too inexperienced to know if it's a problem to deal with, or something to wait out. I haven't personally noticed much fighting or squabbling within the flock, but she is probably the smallest chicken in the group.

Some context: 6 chickens in the flock, eating Naturewise starter/grower feed, free ranging in the yard about half of the day, I keep the coop/run pretty clean (at least to my thinking). Water is from a hanging nipple waterer - though they do seem to drink less out of that then when they had a more open water dish as chicks.

Hoping you can henlighten me. Thanks!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Are they roosting yet? Looks like some tail feathers growing in. They usually come in slow enough you don't notice them. I'm guessing it's either rubbing it's feathers against something, like a wall near the roosts, others are picking at them, or this bird isn't properly preening yet. I wouldn't be too concerned at this point, but keep an eye on them. Broken blood feathers can bleed profusely.