Pullet w/ only two tail feathers and weird flight feathers on cockerel

[Abriana]

I have an Ameraucana Columbian Rock pullet, about nineteen-twenty weeks old, who had a bundle of tail feathers, and now only has two! I have noticed a larger amount of feathers in the coop, but they don't look like hers. She hasn't even started laying yet, so she is not molting. What is wrong with her? Also, i have a cockerel, same breed, same age, whose flight feathers are not underneath his wing, but are on the outside on top and kind of stick out. I pushed them back under, but they keep coming back out. What is wrong with him?

 

[Poultry parent]

Pictures please

 

[SunHwaKwon]

How many other chickens do you have? It sounds like someone might be pulling her tail feathers.

It doesn't sound like anything is wrong with the male.

 

[Abriana]

Don't know if i can do pictures. They are growing back, but i also had a hen, pretty much at the top of the pecking order, who lost all her tail feathers, and a lot of her neck feathers. They grew back prettier than before and i have never had a problem again. This pullet has three rough brothers, who i am in the process of rehoming, that like to grab her occasionally. They grab her back or neck though, but maybe tail when I'm not around. Could this be it? Thats a relief to know that there is nothing wrong with the cockerel. I guess he just looks uncomfortable but i have no idea whats going on in his head.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Yes, if you have sexually mature males they will grab the back of their necks and dig their feet into the base of the tail as they mount them. If they are rough they will rip and claw the feathers out.

 

[Abriana]

They don't mate her, just grab her. They make me mad because they grab her without purpose, at least if they were mating her it would be different, but they just grab her as she walks by! All the males I've had take out the back feathers, never tails.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Are they trying to mate but she is resisting to where they can't actually mount her?

You don't have guineas, do you?

 

[Abriana]

I am not sure

No guineas

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Oh hmm. I don't think chickens usually pull each other's tail feathers, but i could be wrong. Usually it is my guineas that do it.

 

[Abriana]

Chickens do pull tail feathers, but i guess guineas do it more often. They're growing back and she looks pretty comical with only two so I guess i won't worry anymore. Thanks for the help!