Mystery chick dumped at the shelter

[TheOvoOffice]

You may be spot on with the frazzle thing. I have a friend that had one and yours reminds me of that chicken, a lot. If that’s the case, just care for it like any other chicken.

Thanks for the input!

 

[TheOvoOffice]

I have a 6 month old rooster who is a sizzle, he cannot fly at all and his balance is a bit off but he can still walk/run around just fine (with a little bit of a hop) I do trim at the feathers around his neck when they get long enough since they point upward they cover up his vision. you might want to look into the difference between frazzle, frizzle, and sizzle, I don’t think she looks frazzled but I’m still new at this myself

This chick also hops and has slightly unsteady legs at times! Its skin is very pink versus black, so I don’t think it is a sizzle.

 

[Winterland]

This chick also hops and has slightly unsteady legs at times! Its skin is very pink versus black, so I don’t think it is a sizzle.

I think usually a frazzle has very stiff feathers that break easily, while hers look softer so she might luck out and be a frizzle, if that’s the case then there shouldn’t be those extra health concerns to worry about, good luck

 

[-Olive-]

Awh poor chick! Why does she look so sweet though! Like she’s grateful for you.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

She is neither a frizzle nor a frazzle. All of her feathers would curve the opposite direction if she was. I can see regular feathering on her, she's just either a veeeeery slow featherer, or has not been fed properly and her feathering is rough because of that.

She reminds me of a Brahma cockerel I had once. He was the goofiest, most awkward little critter for the longest time, and then suddenly I looked out in the chicken yard and BAM, he was covered in feathers! In his case, he was just a slow featherer; none of the other chicks in that brood had this issue and they were all fed the same. Give her time (and a proper diet) and I'm sure she'll shape up, too.

This was my little dude at a few stages in his growth, just so you can see there is light at the end of the tunnel. I wasn't able to keep him because he was meant to be a pullet and I definitely had no need for a giant Brahma rooster, but that last picture was him as fully grown as he got while he was here. Obviously he was a Brahma and your little one appears to be a Cochin, so they won't look exactly the same, but you can see he did eventually feather in nicely.

 

[TheOvoOffice]

She is neither a frizzle nor a frazzle. All of her feathers would curve the opposite direction if she was. I can see regular feathering on her, she's just either a veeeeery slow featherer, or has not been fed properly and her feathering is rough because of that.

She reminds me of a Brahma cockerel I had once. He was the goofiest, most awkward little critter for the longest time, and then suddenly I looked out in the chicken yard and BAM, he was covered in feathers! In his case, he was just a slow featherer; none of the other chicks in that brood had this issue and they were all fed the same. Give her time (and a proper diet) and I'm sure she'll shape up, too.

This was my little dude at a few stages in his growth, just so you can see there is light at the end of the tunnel. I wasn't able to keep him because he was meant to be a pullet and I definitely had no need for a giant Brahma rooster, but that last picture was him as fully grown as he got while he was here. Obviously he was a Brahma and your little one appears to be a Cochin, so they won't look exactly the same, but you can see he did eventually feather in nicely.

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oh wow! That's QUITE the transformation!! (and quite a similar growth pattern with some baldness!) Because we have no clue what her diet was (and I live in a very urban area so I suspect she was hatched as a project and a lone chick by someone who doesn't know how to raise chickens and not given proper chick food), it's absolutely a possibility that her feather growth is due to poor nutrition. Her feathers are quite gossamer and fine, but do break off easily. They are malformed in many cases across the shaft of the feather, and break in half.
Thanks so much for sharing your story! I guess time will only tell if she/he is a frazzle, slow grower, or had her first round of feathers stunted by poor nutrition!

 

[TheOvoOffice]

I think usually a frazzle has very stiff feathers that break easily, while hers look softer so she might luck out and be a frizzle, if that’s the case then there shouldn’t be those extra health concerns to worry about, good luck

Here's hoping! Her feathers are quite fine and gossamer, but do break easily. Could just be from poor nutrition leading to improper feather growth versus being a frazzle!

 

[Painted Calls]

Definitely a cochin. She is smooth feathered. Poor thing seems like she was malnourished and quite possibly picked on.

 

[TheOvoOffice]

Definitely a cochin. She is smooth feathered. Poor thing seems like she was malnourished and quite possibly picked on.

Thanks for the input! My suspicion is that this chick probably didn’t have any other chicks or chickens around it and this is likely just a case of very poor nutrition

 

[JedJackson]

It's difficult to know what is going on with this chick, but it wasn't treated well. Malnutrition and feather mites or lice are strong probabilities. It could also have skin problems. Hopefully it will regrow feathers in the bald patches.

I wouldn't assume it is a pullet just yet. Malnutrition often delays the onset of secondary sex characteristics in chickens.