Shetland Rooster Question

[2150MormonRd]

I'm raising my first two little Shetlands and they are the sweetest things! The pullet is so calm I can pick her up or pet her with no complaining. "Sharon" follows me around like a little puppy. Love her to bits. The Roo, Roger, is just as sweet and stoic. But here is where I'm stumped. He has no tail feathers yet. Literally, a curly butt. Will he be rumpless like that? Or get his boy tail in time??? Sharon has a pretty long one. Anyone with Shetland experience?

 

[kattabelly]

How old?

 

[2150MormonRd]

How old?

Hatched 5.25

 

[kattabelly]

Hatched 5.25

If you mean May 25th that would make them a week older than my Shetlands, and one of those who's a bit behind the others doesn't really have a tail at the moment. I'd give it a bit longer to see if his grows in.

(Assuming you've already eliminated other possibilities like parasites or feather pecking)

I'm not aware of some Shetlands being tailless but they are a landrace and do sometimes throw up weird traits that haven't been expressed in recent generations. I don't know enough about genetics to say whether this could be something like that.

 

[2150MormonRd]

Thank you. Yes, he is naturally still "tail-less" at present. Just curly locks on the rump. I did a little bit more looking and apparently others have had similar roos out of a line through Greenfire Farms. My two are from a farm that likely got their initial flock from them so it makes a little more sense. Could be influence of Araucana in them since they lay blue/ green eggs. He's still pretty and has a very low register crow. I'm not too sure about his management style because he seems very uninterested in the girls but hopefully that will change.

 

[Ashleyboz]

This is my guy. He’s a month older than yours. He’s always had a nice full tail.