One chick with less developed tail...is it a boy??? What are some traits to look out for?

[Curious1234]

One of my baby chicks (2-3weeks old now) has much LESS developed tail feathers than the others. The others have rather longer and fluffier tail feathers but this one has a smaller (but fatter) tail with tiny little tail feathers she? had when she was less than a week old (little tiny feathers that are not developing). I am thinking maybe it's a boy! This chick is an EE. Are there any other signs/traits to look out for based on your prior experience? Perhaps the way the tail is held? The way the back slopes? Something? Anything?

 

[Uniontown Poultry]

Are you sure the chick is not rumpless, or partially rumpless? This pops up in EE's because of their Aracauna heritage. Does the chick have a tailbone? Truly rumpless birds do not, but there are all kinds of outcomes in between rumpless and full tail. Does it look like the others may have been pickin on this one and pulling out its feathers? Just a thought.

 

[Curious1234]

They definitely haven't been pulling out the tail. There's a stubby tail and some tiny tail feathers on it (I can feel the meaty part of the tail). But the feathers are small and not developing...how can I tell if it is rumpless or not?

 

[Uniontown Poultry]

So-called "True Rumpless" are missing the tailbone itself, and usually a few lower vertebra as well. Such a chicken would not grow tall tail feathers, and the back slopes down to a rear end that lacks a tail. Do a search for "aracauna" or "manx rumpless chicken" to see what they'll look like. There may even be chick pictures you can compare to yours.

Apart from the "True Rumpless" there can be all sorts of other variations of partial rumplessness, from having a stunted tailbone (which would result in a smaller and stunted tail), to having a missing tailbone but all the vertebra present, to having a normal-looking tailbone and all vertebra, but the feather follicles are misshapen in some way (causing small, sparse, or misshapen feathers). Since the ancestor of the EE is Aracauna, and they are rumpless, I'd guess that your chick might be exhibiting some part of the rumpless gene of his ancestor. It usually does not interfere with their little chicken lives - this one may just be the oddball. And who knows? After the first molt, that tail may grow in just fine.

 

[enel 1]

my pullets usually feather out a bit faster then the boys do so it could be a cockerel