NZ Araucana - Tailless Chick

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Good Morning Everyone! I recently purchased some Black Araucana eggs for hatching and amongst the expected black babies I hatched an unexpected blue! Cool Beans - I'm very pleased to get a blue - so this was an excellent surprise to start with but now I'm looking at this baby blue and wondering why it has no tail, when ALL it's other black hatch mates have well developing tails.

Please bear in mind that I am in NZ where our Araucana have rumps/tails, crests & muffs so pls forgive if this is different to your Araucana standard.

Here's some picks of baby blue - anyone care to offer their opinion on whether this might be a "rumpless" bird? Or do I just have a late bloomer hehe. In all other respects this baby is feathering up at the same rate as his hatch mates. To confirm he has NO feathers whatsoever above his bottom. All the grey flufflies you see in the last pic are below his bottom.

Edit: At time of picture baby is 3 weeks old.

 

[sourland]

You should be able to feel whether or not he has a popes nose and tail bone. It looks to me as if he does - I think he is just feathering in more slowly than his hatch mates.

 

[willchickeneat]

Looks like a tail to me.

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Here's an update on my Juvie Blue Araucana - I can feel no bumps to suggest a tail area waiting to feather up.

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Update - Here is "Little Blue" who has grown remarkably but still with no hint of a tail or butt. SO I'm ready to officially say I have a rumpless bird! Cooooooool. I'm certain this is an accidental occurrence (no hint of rumpless genetics in the parent stock) so do not expect to get any more of the same. But it is a lovely thriving young bird so has earned a spot in the breeding flock regardless

 

[willchickeneat]

Update - Here is "Little Blue" who has grown remarkably but still with no hint of a tail or butt. SO I'm ready to officially say I have a rumpless bird! Cooooooool. I'm certain this is an accidental occurrence (no hint of rumpless genetics in the parent stock) so do not expect to get any more of the same. But it is a lovely thriving young bird so has earned a spot in the breeding flock regardless
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Nice!!