Missing Tail Feathers

[Ccrielly]

HelloAll,

I got four new chicks in March and noticed that one of the chicks didn’t have much in the way of tail feathers. They seemed to have grown in over time, but now she has lost them and looks the same as she did as a hatchling. Is this something I should be concerned about? I am not seeing any mites, lice, or parasites on her. Her interactions with the other pullers are good. I was wondering if some chickens just don’t have tail feathers? She is a black Australorp.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Do you have a picture? There are "rumpless" breeds of chickens but if she had feathers and they fell out then that's not the case and I don't think there is a rumpless Australrop but I could be wrong.
You will usually see Rumpless Araucanas, is it possible she's an Araucana or a mix? Does she have the same comb as the other chicks?

 

[Ccrielly]

Do you have a picture? There are "rumpless" breeds of chickens but if she had feathers and they fell out then that's not the case and I don't think there is a rumpless Australrop but I could be wrong.
You will usually see Rumpless Araucanas, is it possible she's an Araucana or a mix? Does she have the same comb as the other chicks?

HelloAll,

I got four new chicks in March and noticed that one of the chicks didn’t have much in the way of tail feathers. They seemed to have grown in over time, but now she has lost them and looks the same as she did as a hatchling. Is this something I should be concerned about? I am not seeing any mites, lice, or parasites on her. Her interactions with the other pullers are good. I was wondering if some chickens just don’t have tail feathers? She is a black Australorp.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Hmm, not sure why her tail feathers fell out, I would say maybe a feather picker but I would think you would see evidence on some of the others as well.
I did do some hunting and came across a really old thread where others were discussing tail feathers missing on their Australorps or growing in oddly. Maybe there is a weird gene that occasionally expresses itself in the breed? Hopefully someone else will have some thoughts as well, but here is the link to the old thread if you feel like scrolling though it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/black-australorp-rumpless.56086/

 

[Ccrielly]

View attachment 1828141

It is possible she is an Aracauna

Hmm, not sure why her tail feathers fell out, I would say maybe a feather picker but I would think you would see evidence on some of the others as well.
I did do some hunting and came across a really old thread where others were discussing tail feathers missing on their Australorps or growing in oddly. Maybe there is a weird gene that occasionally expresses itself in the breed? Hopefully someone else will have some thoughts as well, but here is the link to the old thread if you feel like scrolling though it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/black-australorp-rumpless.56086/

Ok, thank you. It is strange that she grew tail feathers, I couldn’t tell the two chickens apart, but now she lost them. I will keep monitoring for now. Could be a genetic issue.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

It is possible she is an Aracauna

I don't think so, Araucanas have pea combs and she appears to have a single comb which is consistent with Australorps.