We have feathers!!

I have some two week old chicks and have also been noticing feathers - wing and some tails. Here's a question: some have noticeable tail feathers and others do not. Is this just some growing more quickly or some other indicator?

 

My chicks are only a week old and most of them are already sporting tail feathers and huge wing feathers! Especially the RIRs. It's almost like you can see them growing before your eyes! One of my RIRs almost flew out of the brooder this morning when I was cleaning. She made it to the top of the cardboard. I had a dream last night that I had the chicks in my van and someone left the wing glass open in the back and they were escaping! LOL You know you've got it bad when you start dreaming about them!

 

Quote:Are yours all the same breed? Mine are all brahmas, but the dark brahmas are lagging in the tail feather dept. Before it was the buffs that were lagging, but they've caught up to my light ones now. Although I have no proof, I've pretty much chalked it up to different parents having different chicks; just as not all human babies grow at the same rate.

 

suzanneandlucas - I think that's what it is, that they are just individuals and grow at different rates. On my Delawares that I hatched, some had longer tail feathers than others (still do) (12 wks old) And for a while, one roo had a larger comb, now their combs are about equal. One crows every morning and one sounds like a party horn.

 

Quote:Congrats. My Leghorn chicks developed quickly (3-5 days) and my Brahamas are just now at 11 days. I'm new, but I assumed it was breed specific developing.

 

OOOh, it is so interesting to see how they change each day! I have a little 5 week old cockerel who is white with black feathers coming in. Today I noticed a little red spot on either side of his back, and I thought he had been pecked on. On closer inspection, I realized he has some red feathers coming in.....oh what color is he going to be???? It's a fun guessing game!

 

I think its neat how a white leg horn goes from a yellow chick to a white bird. My buff orpingtons are looking kind of rough right now. Poor girls must be tough getting all those new feathers.

 

My Cuckoo Morans have lots of feathers at 20 days.
You can plainly tell the roos from the Hens now. The roos are turning white with black markings.

One got out today prolly flew over the fence, I went out to check on the birds and he was running around trying to figure out how he could back in.
I chased him a little then just lifted th fence so he could run under.

 

That is the downside to getting feathers is they figure out how to fly. I was cleaning today and they kept flying up on the edge of the brooder. I ended up having to put the dogs out, they were sitting their watching like come on down here and play.