No feathers at 4 weeks

[JCinNM]

I have a BBS Orp chick that is still fuzzy/downy. She has some wing feathers growing in slowly. Healthy, zooms about, chest bumping, eating, drinking, pooping just like the rest of the chicks. Just no feathers.
Purina chick starter non-medicated. Purchased from MyPetChicken and arrived promptly. Had pasty butt the next day but recovered in 24 hours. No mites, lice. All chicks healthy. (Except the two FTT that died day 3 despite all efforts.)
Starting yesterday all the little nuggets started venturing outside. But since she has no feathers I am concerned. She stays with her little flock and doesn’t seem bothered. Maybe being outside for a bit will trigger her body to grow feathers?

I’ve read through many threads and articles but can’t seem to find a definitive answer other than to “wait it out”.

ETA the daytime temps are 78-92. Still have heat in the brooder at night.

 

[Yardmom]

I wonder if being warm all the time could slow feather growth? Definitely is slow maturing.

 

[JCinNM]

I wonder if being warm all the time could slow feather growth? Definitely is slow maturing.

Thank you for your reply. I should have mentioned all seven of the other chicks have feathered normally.
Maybe it is the BBS strain? My Buff Orps are feathering normally. However they are three weeks older and from a different source.
Wish someone could tell me if there are any nutritional changes that may help.

 

[NatJ]

There is a gene that makes chicks grow their feathers much slower than normal. They are normal and healthy, just slow to grow their first feathers. So that might be what she has.

The gene is called "slow feathering," for obvious reasons.

 

[JCinNM]

There is a gene that makes chicks grow their feathers much slower than normal. They are normal and healthy, just slow to grow their first feathers. So that might be what she has.

The gene is called "slow feathering," for obvious reasons.

Thank you for that information. Now I have something to research.

 

[kurby22]

I just posted a similar question! My baby Orp is in the same situation! I’m afraid to put him outside cuz he’s still only got teeny tiny feathers on his wings. He’s otherwise a very normal chick!

 

[mtma]

We had one who was very runt last year. Instead if feathering out, ger down actually started rubbing off! She was the sweetest! She grew to about half size and lived several sweet months.

 

[kurby22]

We had one who was very runt last year. Instead if feathering out, ger down actually started rubbing off! She was the sweetest! She grew to about half size and lived several sweet months.

Ahh we had a sweet little runt too and lost him after only 4 days :-( This guy is just as big if not a bit bigger than his sister! Just no feathers! He’s very sweet but very whiny! Lots of loud cheeping

 

[FoxySonia]

I'm having the same problem with 3 blue laced red Wyandotte bantam chicks from Ideal Poultry, got them straight run with an assortment of other bantam chicks. All are now 5 weeks old, and with the exception of those 3 Wyandotte chicks, which unfortunately turned out to be males, the chicks have grown most of their feather and lost most of their baby fluff. Of those 3 Wyandotte bantam chicks, 2 are much larger and the other 1 appears to be a runt. The runt is still completely covered in baby fluff, while the 2 larger ones have finally started growing their feathers but have lost the fluff on their bums and part of their backs and under the wings, which I feared may be caused by lice or mites or fungal skin infection, but I see no signs of those things, so it could also be the brooder might be too warm, or they spend too much time under the Comfort heat plate brooder heater which is set at tallest level. A few of the other chicks also have some bald spots, mostly on their sides under the wings, but after examining them closely, I can see a lot of pin feathers that look very uncomfortable, so that could be making them over spleen and pluck feathers in those areas. Only 1, the larger 1 of 3 Polish chicks, has a bald spot on top of head, in the middle of his/her crest, so it could have been plucked by other chicks.

So there could be many reasons why chicks might have bald spots. If it's not parasites or fungus, could be too warm, could be self plucking because of discomfort or boredom, or pecking/feather pulling by other chicks, could be nutritional deficiency, or could be a runt or slow feathering chick.

Here's the runt at about 4 weeks old (I'm hoping it's a female, but highly doubt it because of darker coloring and short wings):

Here's 1 of the larger 2, before he started losing the down feathers from around his bum (he's extremely skittish, so I have to hold his legs to keep him from bolting):

My Polish chick with bald spot on head:

Sorry if I couldn't be of help. I still haven't figured out what's causing the bald spots on my chicks. I hope we figure it out or the problem resolves on it's own soon.

 

[JCinNM]

Once her feathers started growing they came in fast. She is normally feathered now so I guess she has the gene for slow feathering. Named her Zha Zha (Gabore) since she is now so “gorgeous dahling”. Her BFF is Eva, of course.