Porcupine chick?

[Jlessl]

This is a black bantam cochin, about 4 weeks old. My question concerns her back feathers, at the moment, it is very spiny. Is this normal? I sort of figured it might be that the down feather are falling out faster than the new feathers can develop giving a porcupine look. Or is a symptom of something more serious?

 

[swtangel321]

Do you have a rooster with her that mates her ????

 

[hinkjc]

This looks pretty normal, but I would keep an eye to make sure no one is pecking. Do they have plenty of room to get away from each other? Excess heat can start pecking problems too. They do get the "porcupine" feather shafts that will eventually grow out and open into new pretty feathers.

Jody

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Chicks can go through some pretty unattractive stages, as they are growing and changing feathers. At times you may see more of their pin feathers showing. When adults molt, you may barely notice it or they may show bare skin, followed by the porcupine look.

 

[M@M@2four]

Looks normal to me...mine do this when they molt. Check her though for chicken lice or mites. You have to spread the feathers apart and look really closely at the skin(nape of the neck, base of the tail, under wings and chest are usually hiding spots for them. They can be very tiny or large.

 

[Jlessl]

Quote:
Nope, no rooster.

I have only had her for a few days now and since she immediately had bloody poop she has been separated from my other hens for some cocci treatment. She actually had the spines when I acquired her, so it is possible that someone was pecking her at her previous home. I will check for lice/mites though.

thanks for the advice.

 

[Novaleigh]

One of my black star (black sex-link) chicks looks more like a balding porcupine then a chick! She is only about 3 weeks old. Is it normal for her to look like that? All of the other chicks (2 more black stars and 3 red stars, 6 chicks total) look like normal feathering young chickens. Poor Twilight is the only one who looks like a raggity, balding ugly duckling.