Normal tail feather growth?

[McNaryCoop]

Hi,

I have a cream Brabanter chick who is almost 6 weeks. I took this picture last week, and the tail looks the same. Is this “thinness” normal? It would seem like it’s getting picked at, but I actually don’t think that’s the case. The first picture is of the same chick a week or so earlier- it looks like the thin weird feathers are actually new growth (that is stunted?). Anyone know what this could be? I also worry that it’s a roo- because one of them is crowing but I haven’t caught it in action so I’m not sure which- but this one loves to spar and is particularly protective of my australorp- it’s “brood mate”. Thanks for any insight!

 

[Chickinie]

The tail feathers just look like that because their is actually two feathers there!! The new feathers have pushed the other feathers out and what you are seeing is whole little feathers on the end of its tail - you should be able to hold one and it will just come off.

Looks pretty funny, I've actually never seen them attached like that! They usually fall off.

They both look like hens to me...

 

[McNaryCoop]

So, I tried to pull on them a little....but they didn’t come out. I didn’t pull very hard though. Not enough to irritate/elicit a squeal from the little one. They actually look like they grow out of the center of the shorter tail feathers. One is actually pretty bent though. It’s hard to get a good pic because I didn’t have someone to take the pic while I held it....but here’s a closer view. Maybe later I’ll be able to have my husband help take a picture....

 

[Chickinie]

Hmm. Maybe they have attached some how to the new feathers spine... But usually the spine of feathers tapers down to nothing or very very thin on the ends of every feather. The end of the old feathers should have thick bases where the feather was plugged into the chicken ().

If you feel the join of the two feathers, is their a distinguished thickness difference? You could hold its new feather with two fingers, so you don't tug that one, and pull the old one a bit harder to see if it pops off. Otherwise, they should eventually fall off. Maybe if you dampen the join it will loosen whatever is holding them on.