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Anyone ever have a chick that just seemed to refuse to grow adult feathers? I have raised frizzles for a few years and I know they are slower to feathers, however, I have never had one as slow as the one I have right now. Normally they grow wing feathers and tail sprouts and a few patches on the sides of the chest and then get a little bald in the other places as the down falls out and then the rest of the feathers come in slowly. The chick I have now will be 4 weeks old Friday. He (I'm fairly certain based on pinking of comb) has one row of feathers along the edge of the wings, some tiny feather shafts finally coming in on the sides of the chest and just a couple in the tail sprout and near the vent. A large portion of the chick down has fallen out (and he's grown a lot so his body has stretched out leaving space between the tufts of down) and I'm worried he's gonna be naked. I have him inside with the week olds right now because he doesn't have enough feathers to be out in the big kid brooder in the shed with his hatchmates. They all have full wing feathers and tails and patches on the chest and most of them have at least a strip down the middle of the back. He was out there half of one day and was nearly hypothermic and I had to bring him back in. He's growing and thriving and acting like a 4 week old chick, except for the feathers.


 
jbenson said:
Anyone ever have a chick that just seemed to refuse to grow adult feathers? I have raised frizzles for a few years and I know they are slower to feathers, however, I have never had one as slow as the one I have right now. Normally they grow wing feathers and tail sprouts and a few patches on the sides of the chest and then get a little bald in the other places as the down falls out and then the rest of the feathers come in slowly. The chick I have now will be 4 weeks old Friday. He (I'm fairly certain based on pinking of comb) has one row of feathers along the edge of the wings, some tiny feather shafts finally coming in on the sides of the chest and just a couple in the tail sprout and near the vent. A large portion of the chick down has fallen out (and he's grown a lot so his body has stretched out leaving space between the tufts of down) and I'm worried he's gonna be naked. I have him inside with the week olds right now because he doesn't have enough feathers to be out in the big kid brooder in the shed with his hatchmates. They all have full wing feathers and tails and patches on the chest and most of them have at least a strip down the middle of the back. He was out there half of one day and was nearly hypothermic and I had to bring him back in. He's growing and thriving and acting like a 4 week old chick, except for the feathers.


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HE would be correct. I would cull him. There is obviously something not right with him. That is what I would do. Usually if you see some lagging this much, they don't thrive or end up dying anyway. I have one out of about 100 New Hampshires that will grow to the size of a 4-week old then stop. They feather out except for their heads, and then you pick them up and they are just wasting away under their feathers. I just had to cull one like that yesterday. That stuff will happen when you do a lot of hatching and raising.
 
Today is the day our 6 new chicks are to be delivered. The spring of 2014 was our first year with chicks and I said then I would never do the 'new chick' thing again and yet here we are. 2 Silver Laced, 2 RIR's, and 2 Rocks will eventually join the 4 Black Australorps in the coop. This is assuming all 6 survive - we lost a chick last spring. Even though it's down the road, I'm already dreading the introduction of the new chicks with the established gang. Everything I read says it's tricky.
 
Scott16475 said:
Hi, holm23. Welcome to the board!

This is a very knowledgeable group (I'm certainly not including myself in that statement) and will help answer any questions you may have. What area of Minnesota are you in?
Click to expand...


Scott Did you not look at his location?

It says "Peace and Calming" The only place the can possibly be is Togo..........




Ole has made the move!

When I collected eggs last night Ole was sitting on the high roost in the coop. It is the first time I have seen him actually spend the night in the main coop. see him get it on yesterday with a EE hen. However I think it was cut short because Ed ran him off her and chased him down.

Ed is pushing his weight around still but is not sleeping in the main coop, He spends his nights in the guinea fowl coop, (prison).. I am very progressive and have an open door policy on my prison at this time. The prison is soon to become Turkey prison.

Ed still does not like Bert. He chased him yesterday right away when I let Bert out. I am going to move Bert into a corner of the turkey coop and give him and his girls their own run and a little coop area with 2 nests.



Other the hand that nothing new here except the thermometer is showing freezing out.


Jbenson: I have to sadly agree with the advice Minnie is giving you. I become attached to the chicks with special needs fast however ask yourself do you really want those genes in any other young birds? In addition A weak bird is a bird a virus or bacteria can fester in and get a foot hold into your flock. Minnie always gives good advice, even if it is hard to follow.
 
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