Sick Chick or Okay?

[Crazy Cat Chickens]

Howdy,

I recently picked up some chicks and noticed one doesn't look so good. Pretty sure its a Lavender Orpington. They are two weeks old now and one has patches of missing fur on the neck and the tail feathers aren't as long as the others. Also the feathers that are coming don't look as healthy as the others do. It doesn't appear to be the other chicks pecking though I'm not there all day so not sure.

Any ideas what's going on?

Thank you,

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Just like a teenager going through puberty your chicks are going through some wild changes in their bodies right now! Their "fur" is turning into feathers and they're growing at an exponential rate. This one looks so bad because it is a little behind the others who have pushed out their feathers. They likely looked like this one a week or two ago.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some chicks are slower to feather than others.

The lavender color is also more likely to be genetically associated with "shredding" which means the feathers will look ragged or ratty, so there's nothing you can really do about that.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Some chicks are slower to feather than others.

The lavender color is also more likely to be genetically associated with "shredding" which means the feathers will look ragged or ratty, so there's nothing you can really do about that.

Yep- and the funny thing is- I love the Shredding look. I have a LavOrp which is crazy shredded feathered and it looks really neat. Sure, it's not functionally good- but from a pure aesthetics it gives the bird a much different coat.

 

[Crazy Cat Chickens]

Great, thanks for the info.