Quote: 1) That's just an indication of slightly sub-par health. Could be from anything, she looks healthy enough otherwise. Probably a small but noticeable setback.
2) As above. A temporary sickness that may have passed before you even noticed symptoms can cause a slight setback like that. As for the shape and thickness of the spikes, that's just genetic, as with the shape and angle of them.
3) Even though its body is smaller than the layer standing next to it the face seems longer. May just be a slightly bigger chook genetically. As for the yellow, again just genetic.
4) Generally you'd see the spiked head feathering and triangular fancy wing feathers before the rooster tail emerges and I see none of that on 'her' (which makes me call it a 'her'). These fancy rooster feathers start showing at a much younger age generally but I did have one mystery rooster who seemed like a hen until well after normal puberty. I've also had six-week olds trying to crow and mating, so extremes do exist. And I've had hens who crow and have spurs, proper ones, and mate with hens, and I've had one hen who couldn't crow but loved to sing along with her boyfriend when he did. Chooks are really random, so don't take anything as a set in concrete rule!
5) The seeming setback I usually blame that sort of crest on could also delay egg laying. It's still very early days. If you were running a commercial breeding operation you would discard her for not being prompt enough like the other. But I'm guessing you're not, lucky chook. Hope something I wrote here is useful to you. Best wishes.
2) As above. A temporary sickness that may have passed before you even noticed symptoms can cause a slight setback like that. As for the shape and thickness of the spikes, that's just genetic, as with the shape and angle of them.
3) Even though its body is smaller than the layer standing next to it the face seems longer. May just be a slightly bigger chook genetically. As for the yellow, again just genetic.
4) Generally you'd see the spiked head feathering and triangular fancy wing feathers before the rooster tail emerges and I see none of that on 'her' (which makes me call it a 'her'). These fancy rooster feathers start showing at a much younger age generally but I did have one mystery rooster who seemed like a hen until well after normal puberty. I've also had six-week olds trying to crow and mating, so extremes do exist. And I've had hens who crow and have spurs, proper ones, and mate with hens, and I've had one hen who couldn't crow but loved to sing along with her boyfriend when he did. Chooks are really random, so don't take anything as a set in concrete rule!
5) The seeming setback I usually blame that sort of crest on could also delay egg laying. It's still very early days. If you were running a commercial breeding operation you would discard her for not being prompt enough like the other. But I'm guessing you're not, lucky chook. Hope something I wrote here is useful to you. Best wishes.
