New Chicks Have Saddle Feathers Standing Upright

[Pippin35]

I very recently received a pair of Brahma pullets for an early Christmas present. They are a light and a dark and both appear to display saddle feathers that stand erect all the time. They both seem to be somewhat capable of putting these feathers down but remain with them up 90% of the time. They also appear to be more downy and darker than the surrounding feathers. What might be wrong with them? I’ve never had a chicken with feathers like this.

 

[black_cat]

Pictures?

 

[cmom]

I agree, pictures would help. Good luck and have fun...

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I have some Cornish bantam males who have this very slightly. But certainly not upright

 

[sarahm0513]

Due to account issues I cannot send images under the account Pippin, and therefore I needed a new account for this. here are the pictures of the pullets.

 

[sourland]

They appear to have been feather pecked/plucked and left with broken feathers.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sourland could easily be right.

How old are they? Another possibility is that if they were wormed with fenbendazole, commonly sold as Safeguard, during a molt the feathers can grow back weird. Chicks go through juvenile molts as they grow. They outgrow their old feathers and replace them. A grown hen that still had the feathers of a 5 week old chick would really look weird.