Q about feathering-out (just curious)

[patandchickens]

I am amazed at how much variation there is among chicks in how quickly or slowly their feathers are coming in.

I have 20 chicks, spread across three breeds, that are about a week and a half old now. A couple have had (for a while now) long wing feathers all the way out to their butts, and an inch of tail, and little feathers coming in on the shoulders and on the 'front edge' of the wing. They look like sparrows. Others, and these are chicks of the same hatch date and breed, have only short wing feathers, the first tiny hints of tail feathers getting ready to sprout, and nothing else.

The only consistant difference I see among breeds is that none of the campines are growing shoulder feathers yet no matter how advanced the wing and tail feathers are. The vast majority of the difference is *within* breeds. It does not seem to correspond to body size, either, except that the one runt is also the least-feathered.

I assume this is normal, but I am just curious, does it relate to anything meaningful, like pullet/cockerel or growth rate or whatever? Or is it just weird meaningless variation?

All opinions appreciated,

Pat, having a 'biologist' moment

 

[HenMamma]

I noticed the same thing with my 2 white rocks. One has all the wing, chest and back feathers while the other just has wing and the beginnings of a tail. Odd.

 

[pixiechic]

It's amazing to me too. I have 15 chicks who are exactly the same age, and almost all are growing feathers at different rates. Aren't those tiny tails hilarious?

 

[conny63malies]

my over three week old banty cochin runt "dumdum chicken" still doesnt have tail feathers. s/he just got most of the wing feathers, but his hatch buddies are almost all the way feathered , go figure.

 

[BearSwampChick]

I've been wondering the same thing. My SS are the same age. One is huge with lots of big girl feathers and the other one is about 1/3 the size and very few BG feathers. The rest of the breeds seem to be about the same rate of growth.

Susan

 

[crooked stripe]

I noticed that with my first 15 the hens seem to feather faster. The roos out numbered the hens. 8 roos and 7 hens. This might just be mine because I am no expert. John

 

[pattycake]

Yep, I had three Jersey giants who had three different tail types, right up to laying age -- one had no tail at all, just like one of my Speckled Sussexes. Now they all look the same.