Strange maturation of an Araucana chick

[woodmort]

Let me begin by saying I've been in chickens off and on for a long time--beginning with a trio of bantams given to me by my grandmother at age 5 through a continuous run since 1985. (I'm now 71 btw) With only one or two exceptions all my birds have started as chicks from hatcheries, local feed stores, my own incubator or my own hens so I'm not a neophyte when it comes to chicks. But this is a new one for me. On May 31 I received a shipment of chicks from McMurray: 26 Black Star sex-links and 6 straight-run araucanas. These chicks are now 5/6 weeks old and feathered out nicely with one exception. One of the araucanas--I'll call it Peep for ID purposes only--is still only partly feathered. While Peep's brothers and sisters--judging from plumage I'm guessing one brother and 4 sisters--are fully feathered Peep is still more than half chick fuzz with feathers poking out here and there. [pictures below]. I've carefully observed to see if Peep is being picked on by the other 31 chicks and can't see anything. In fact, to take the pics I tossed in some grass clippings and Peep was the first to inspect them and kept the others at bay so I suspect it may be a male. It has been my experience that araucanas tend to feather out fairly early so this aberration has me puzzled. Any comments?

Peep

Peep's siblings--I'm guessing pullets

Peep with two of his siblings--I'm guess the darker one on the right is a cockerel

As you can see, the araucanas and the Black Stars--lower left--are well feathered. Only Peep stands out.
Interesting, huh?

 

[HBuehler]

I have the same thing in my Cornish pen..all fully feathered growing big then there is runty..runty only has wing feathers and is about a fifth of the size of the others..looks at most 3 weeks old and they are 10 weeks.I'm sure I have a slow roo but that's fine dinner awaits

It survived round 1 of the heat where some of the others didn't so it's not weak just small.
Those are Easter Eggers though that you have...hatcheries don't sell true Araucana or Ameraucana they just like to confuse people..that said we love our EE's here almost as much as our true Ameraucana's

 

[klf73]

I noticed some cockerals feather slow...by the size of those legs I would say peep is an EE boy....

 

[dsowens15]

His legs are huge compaired to his boby. I would be a great chick for an hobbies. Someone wanting profit might have killed the little guy.

 

[crawfordmama]

I have a peanut Araucana too. She's from the same hatch, but is quite smaller and has considerably less feathers. I'm stumped, too!

 

[crawfordmama]

Also, I do think your Peep is a boy.

 

[cabot]

I have a wyandotte that is the same way...
6 weeks

10 weeks

now at 12 weeks she is a bit more feathered but still looks frizzled...

 

[woodmort]

He is the same size as his siblings, if he looks smaller it is because he lacks feathers--kind of like our long hair cat when he's shampooed. As I said, I've had had a lot of chicks over the years and this is a first for me. Most all matured at about the same rate, even the ones that came out of the incubator a week or so behind the others. Guess there is always room for learning something new.

 

[EE lover:)]

i also think peep is an EE. looks like my EE was except she grew as fast as the others srry im not really an expert, im only 11