One Silkie chick is getting increasingly less silky. Should I worry?

[bantyshanty]

I have 5 16-day-old silkies, all from the same -reputable- farm. Each one is a different color. Four are very fluffy, top-knotty, feather-footed and everything a growing silkie should be.
Then there's Kevin, the white one. She had a difficult hatch. I surgically opened most of her egg for her as she hatched two days later than the rest, and her umbilicus wasn't totally healed. Despite that beginning, she thrived and is the smartest, fastest chick. She's really vigorous, and lay fights with the others.
She looks increasingly different from the fluffy ones though. She's the same size & build as her brooder mates, but her chick-down is increasingly short as she gets bigger. Her black skin shows through the white fuzz.
She reminds me of my chihuahua, while the others look like my Pomeranian. Should I worry that the lack of fluff indicates disease?
Does she have a double copy of a recessive gene that could also mean she had other recessive-gene-linked problems? I know only enough about genetics to have my brain make trouble for me.
Could a cuckoo have laid an egg in the hen house?
Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[Suechick]

Do you have any pictures?
I hatched 3 white silkes. One is very different from the other 2. Not sure if its the same thing you're experiencing. Two of them are kind of patchy, like there are several puffs of down and some skin areas. The third is fluffy all over with no breaks.
Try to get some pictures and maybe I can show you mine too. Check back tomorrow

 

[bantyshanty]

I'll take a picture tomorrow (Sunday) and try to upload it here. My internet is slow & patchy --hey! kind of like the chick's feathers!

-- She seems to have normal pin(?) feathers developing on her wings & tail.

Check back Sunday night for the photo.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Was she injured from hatching? I have one that's feathering at a slower rate because it injured itself when hatching. I just figured he needed the energy to heal, so he's a tad bit behind the others. (tail feathers just starting to come in at 3 weeks old)

 

[pbjmaker]

OK the name Kevin just made me laugh. I've been hearing it a lot lately. It always reminds me of the dimwitted penguin on 3,2,1 Penguins when he says his name. I hope you figure out what is going on. Maybe he needs more protein?


Here is a description of Kevin from the official website:

KEVIN

Kevin is the ship’s … um, Kevin. No known use, but a special bird, nonetheless. He’s been known to “tidy up a bit” and, with Midgel’s permission, pretend to fly the ship. He may be clueless and often a bit behind, but make no mistake he’ll be there to answer the call of duty.