Ratty feathers, can't feel crop, but looks and acts healthy?

[PurpleLotus]

So my girls went through their first molt late last fall. Of my three barred rocks, two came out of it looking just beautiful and even darker than before. One came out of it, not only looking whiter, but her feathers seem...rattier. It's almost as if they're somewhere in between regular feathers and frizzled. This girl has always been lighter in color, has had a bigger comb than the other two and stands spunky and upright. When they were young pullets, I worried she was a roo! But since she started laying, I ruled that out

I just assumed that she was a tomboy

So for a couple of months now I've been wondering if these feathers were going to smooth out. They haven't. Her comb and wattles are a lovely dark red, nice and healthy looking. When I pick her up, a couple of feathers often fall off of her body. I've looked for lice/mites, don't see any evidence, none of the other chickens seem to have it and I use DE in the coop, occasionally in their food and in their dust baths. Today I'm out with my kids and the girls and I'm looking at her and thinking how much she stands so upright, since I've never kept roosters (I'm in an urban area) so I'm kind of imagining this is what it must look like to have one standing among one's hens when I notice her solid breast area. It's the end of the day and all my other girls have their crops stuffed with yummy bugs, greens and our table scraps but hers looks flat. So I grab her and palpate the area. I can't feel a crop AT ALL! Is this weird? Is it possible it's located behind the breast muscles? I haven't necessarily watched her eating habits, but she's always in the mix with the other 5 when I throw table scraps out the window. She acts just fine, not unusual at all.

Should I be concerned? I've tried looking on here and googling, but it's such a weird combo of symptoms, I can't find a satisfactory response. Thought it might strike a chord with one of you.

Thanks in advance!

 

[flitter]

Strange! I know nothing about Barred Rocks so am no help except by replying so that I'll bump you up again (I think). If no one answers you might look for a Barred Rock thread and post again. It's a big forum and sometimes things aren't seen by the right people right off. Good luck!

 

[seminolewind]

I would worm her with a real wormer, not DE. Powder her with Sevin or poultry dust. And give her vitamins and electrolytes, and some high protein stuff. It all may make her beautiful. See what Dawg53 says about worms making the feathers look ratty.

 

[PurpleLotus]

But what is up with me not being able to feel her crop? I watched her more yesterday, she does eat and she does poop. Invisible crop?

 

[wcfujita]

I have one chicken that also has ratty feathers and looks like black stuff in her ratty feathers. None of the other chickens look like this just her. She seems fine except for that.