Missing tail feathers ???

[waterguy81]

I have seen on some of my chicks that they are missing some of there feathers on there back and tail area. Not all of them are like this but a few are. Most of the others have completely covered in feathers and are looking very healthy, but these are starting to worry me. Is this a bullying issue ? or some kind of illness ?

I have 26 4 week old RIRs (straight run) and they have been in a 10 ft W x 10 ft L x 6 ft H (open air) type coop / run sense they were 3 weeks old. They eat very well, drink, and seem very happy.

Any heads up on this ? Thanks

 

[chicmom]

Sometimes roosters will feather out very slowly. You can literally have a whole brooder of fully feathered pullets, and then there will be a few roosters (cockerels) with still a downy body, that looks like it's balding, but with wing feathers, and barely any tail feathers, just stubby fluff......

My guess is that those chicks are slow feathering cockerels. Do you feel that they HAD the feathers, but they were plucked?

 

[waterguy81]

That must be the case thanks. It makes sense and I am sure if it was some pecking then they wouldn't all be in the same exact place. like you said it is only a few of them and only on there tail areas and there wings are fine.

I will continue to watch them for details.