Scruffy feathers that won't lie flat

[DonyaQuick]

One of my month-old Orpingtons has been developing a bit differently from the others. I got all my chicks when they were a couple days old. This one got the name Dimple because she had a little dent in the top of her beak as a hatchling but otherwise looked identical to the rest at the time. Dimple has a raspy, very high-pitched voice and her legs and feet are small (not weak, just oddly small), so her body always seems low to the ground. Most of her feathers have come in now, but a lot of them don’t seem to be able to lie flat. She may look fluffed up in the photo, but that’s actually one of her less fluffy states. The other chicks’ feathers smooth down when I pet them, but the ends of Dimple’s feathers immediately spring back out in many places. This is the clearest picture I could get unfortunately comparing her scruffiness to a couple of the others.

The little bits of fluff at the ends of her feathers haven’t been blowing away like they did on the other chicks. It’s really stuck on and only comes away if she or another chick pull at it pretty hard, so she has a lot more left than the others do. I’ve checked through her feathers for evidence of mites or other skin/feather parasites multiple times, but never find anything. I was hoping her feathers would smooth out as she groomed more, but that doesn't seem to be happening. She eats well, her poop is normal, and she’s very active. Is this likely to be a one-off issue with her first set of feathers or something else? Also, with her feathers as they currently are, do I need to worry about her being less cold/wind tolerant than the other chicks as they go outside more?

 

[Peaches Lee]

I have two full sisters (Orp x Cochin cross). Dorothy Jane has close, tight to her body feathers, but sister Diamond Jubilee has loose, fluffy feathers. Dorothy looks more well put together, but both are just fine. I'm guessing Dimple just has slightly different feather texture, nothing to worry about. She's cute.

 

[DonyaQuick]

I have two full sisters (Orp x Cochin cross). Dorothy Jane has close, tight to her body feathers, but sister Diamond Jubilee has loose, fluffy feathers. Dorothy looks more well put together, but both are just fine. I'm guessing Dimple just has slightly different feather texture, nothing to worry about. She's cute.

Thanks Peaches! I'm glad there aren't any red flags for Dimple. I've been a bit paranoid with her since she's a loud complainer, so I've always had a hard time determining if her funny raspy grumbles are due to actual discomfort (she did have pasty butt twice early on) or just her grumpy personality. She was outside for a warm breezy day yesterday and looked like an inverted umbrella a few times, but hopefully she'll learn to go in the coop as a way to get out of the wind when it gets colder.

 

[Peaches Lee]

LOL! I always think my chickens look like turkeys when the wind kicks up their feathers on their backside!

In my experience, sick chickens don't "complain". They are listless, lethargic, quiet, and stand fluffed up in a corner away from others.

She may just be a more vocal hen.

 

[DonyaQuick]

I'm pleased to report that Dimple has turned into a much more affectionate chicken than before; less screamy when being touched and likes a good hug now. Her feathers are also a bit less bonkers now. They're still very fluffy and definitely a different texture to my other chickens but the body feathers in particular are starting to stay down better instead of all curling outwards like they did before.

Overnight, Dimple also got a couple of darker brown, curved feathers at the top of the tail. They look different from all the other tail feathers and none of my other presumed pullets have gotten anything like that. Is this the start of a regular hen tail?

 

[Chicalina]

She looks lovely! I've seen harder feathered and softer feathered Orps. They should ideally be soft as marshmallows and super floofy with pantaloons.