Question on EE... age? gender? (UPDATED PICS, PG 2)

[BarkerChickens]

Definitely a roo! My guess is that he is about 7 or 8 weeks old...and slow to feather. Given the pick of him 3 wks ago, I wouldn't think less than 7 weeks old (4 wks at the time of pic). I had a buckeye roo that was slow feathering like that with the bald back. He was still pretty bald around 8-10 weeks old and looked younger than his siblings since he was so small and naked.

What is wrong with his legs (aside from weak)? Is it new or has he always been weak?

 

[technodoll]

Slow to feather is absolutely true... he looks nothing like the EE's of the same age that you all have!

Need to be patient, it's not his fault...

When I got him, this little naked creature was running around a big pen with birds of assorted breeds and sizes, he was the tiniest one by far and the only naked one that I could see. How the "breeder" could say he was 10 weeks old just blows my mind - he knew I'd take the bird anyways, the cold-hearted bastid, but still! If you can't manage your flocks better you have no right to be a breeder!

That guy has his chickens in a vast barn, not heated.

We're having arctic blizzard conditions these days, temps way below normal and winds cracking trees in two.

This little guy would not have lasted another week there.

The limping started two or three days ago, looks like a sprain cuz it just appeared one afternoon, in the morning he was fine.

But the weak legs he's always had, more or less - not very noticeable but now that I think about it, yep he's never been really solid. He eats and poops like a trucker, too. I've considered he might have worms even if his poop is normal, so he's getting the garlic treatment now.

But still. Could he have rickets??

 

[technodoll]

I took a few more pics of my little one this morning... can you all confirm it's a roo?

If yes, what gives it off?

And about 7 weeks old? older or younger?

I've had him for over 3 weeks now and his feathers are finally starting to grow in (little hedgehog right now!)

Poor baby looks like a Chernobyl victim, he had a very rough start in life and now has some sort of leg problem.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

I keep wanting to say roo because its comb is pink and it looks like it is only about 1 month old - but... since I know it is older than 1 month - possibly up to 8 weeks, I'm not so sure. The coloring looks more rooish - with the red splashes, but if it's not a hatchery EE (versus one bred by a home breeder / a mix), it may feather/color out differently than what I'm used to seeing. The slow feathering also seems to point to roo, but I have a pullet that was ridiculously behind the others in that area - so.... still not sure on this one.

My new batch of EE pullets have pink combs and they are 10 weeks old - some of the combs started turning pink by around 6-8 weeks. I have one EE pullet that I thought was a cockerel because it was naked for so long and looked like a little roo (legs, feathering, light pink comb), but now at 10 weeks, its comb, legs, & body look just like the others (by about 8 weeks, it had caught up in growing its feathers out).

I can only guess what's wrong with its legs, but besides feeding it chick starter, maybe you can give it a couple drops of polyvisol (without iron) every day to help make up for any vitamin deficiency it has.

I know this is a totally different type of chicken (BSL-black star), but these were terribly ugly chicks that I had rescued from the feedstore (1 month old and crammed into a tiny brooder - feather picking had definitely been going on). As ugly as this 1 month old chick is in the pic, it turned into a beautiful hen.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm not an expert, but I say rooster based on the pink comb at that age and the colors coming in on the tops of the wings.

 

[technodoll]

I am buying some liquid vitamins tomorrow at walmart when I run my errands - need to get this little guy (girl?? LOL) strong and healthy again. I'm feeding starter crumbles (20% protein, Purina golden line) and adding cooked egg, not much luck as the wee one is fussy.

See how he / she stands?

Legs stiff as a board, then there will be some normal walking and then the legs will buckle and then follows longs periods of rest and sitting.

I guess I'll have to wait a few more weeks before I know if I have a Faith or a Phoenix on my hands!

 

[Goose and Fig]

It's an ostrich!

Nah- you have yourself a roo. I have about a dozen of the juvies right now- and they've all got naked backs.

 

[technodoll]

I feel so bad seeing this little one amble about, it's like he's all dis-proportioned and off-balance, it,s pitiful

How old are your babies right now?

I am just wondering if I brought home a 3 or 4 week old on Nov 17th to finally solve this mystery!

Nov 17th photo, baby is far right:

 

[LeBlackbird]

Quote:
He looks "duck footed" Which means his legs are too strait, his feet have an almost right angle.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:

He has a roo stance for sure in that pic!

What gives it away (to me) is his pink comb (girls don't turn pink until MUCH later) and his very slow feathering, which is more common in roos. He'll fully feather though....he won't always be a hedgehog....now an ostrich...that he probably won't grow out of.

Maybe he has a new name now.