One baby has more feathers

[kerusnak]

My BSL's are doing well after their first full week with me, eating, drinking and pooping! They are pretty scared of me still but I worked a lot last week and didn't get to spend much time with them. I've noticed one of them has tail(?) feathers and her wing feathers are much longer. Any ideas why?

This is just of them roosting together!



The one in the middle, hard to see but her tail sticks out, the others still have fluff. Then you can see her wings go the length of her body compared to the others who still go about 1/2 to 2/3.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

The reason is that, just like humans, they develop at different rates.

As long as everyone is eating and drinking well, no worries. If you are concerned that perhaps this little one is monopolizing those resources, adding an additional food/water station can assure that those who seem a bit behind have plenty of access to those key ingredients for growth and development.

Were they sent to you in a shipment or picked up in a retail setting? Were they all the same, developmentally, when you got them? During chick days it is not uncommon to receive more than one shipment of chicks during the week and/or to have a few chicks left over from the previous delivery when the next batch comes in - which can mean in the same tub/same breed you can have birds that are different ages. At this point in their development even a difference of a few days can make a big difference in what you see.

 

[kerusnak]

The reason is that, just like humans, they develop at different rates.

As long as everyone is eating and drinking well, no worries. If you are concerned that perhaps this little one is monopolizing those resources, adding an additional food/water station can assure that those who seem a bit behind have plenty of access to those key ingredients for growth and development.

Were they sent to you in a shipment or picked up in a retail setting? Were they all the same, developmentally, when you got them? During chick days it is not uncommon to receive more than one shipment of chicks during the week and/or to have a few chicks left over from the previous delivery when the next batch comes in - which can mean in the same tub/same breed you can have birds that are different ages. At this point in their development even a difference of a few days can make a big difference in what you see.

Thanks, that is kind of what I figured. I got them at a feed store and there was a ton of BSLs so you are probably right, it may have been two different shipments. I keep pointing it out to my husband and he tells me " stop trying to find something wrong" lol. I guess I'm a worrier when it comes to animals.

 

[mbullock47]

I picked up 6 Buff pullets (Orpingtons) at our feed store 6 weeks ago and each is a bit different from the rest. Two are larger than the others, but one of the middle sized ones has more color in her comb. I believe the different growth rates are genetic because these were picked up the day the shipment arrived.