Week old RIR chicks feathers have an odd curl (by comparison)

[harrisville chicken]

I am a very novice first-time chicken keeper.

My two RIR chicks are about a week old and their wings have several rows of feathers now. Instead of the normal looking feathers that I would expect (and that my EE's all have) they are all pointed/curled outwards. They have plenty of medicated chick feed and fresh water. They're on a bed of pine pellets and peat moss and seem to be very happy and healthy. All the chicks enjoy a new scoop of peat moss for a dust bathing* session. The EE are much bigger than the RIR chicks, but they all get along great. The largest RIR chick enjoys digging through the peat, finding a fuzzy bit, and running/flapping around as though she has a bug.

Should I be worried about the "backwards curl" of their feathers?

*I'm glad I read about dust bathing prior to witnessing it. What a funny sight.

 

[ilovechickens]

I have a Columbian Wyandotte that has the same thing going on, I never thought that it could be something bad, I just thought that I had a unique chick, hopefully someone can help us

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

Sounds like a Frizzle. We had one out of the last batch incubated.

A cuckoo maran with a frizzy do!

 

[bethandjoeync]

maybe some frizzle in the bloodline??? is the only that comes to my mind. might be easier for some of the pros to give you an idea if you add a few pics

 

[harrisville chicken]

I've been wondering if it was a frizzle.

I was able to get a photo to upload now.

The perching chick front and center shows the best (the other is on the bottom left, but it doesn't show up as well.)

 

[Lairvine]

The medicated starter has nothing to do with their feathers, it just helps to prevent cocci. You may be lucky and have frizzled RIR's.

 

[txchickie]

Looks like frizz to me

I have a small red chick from TSC that his wing feathers started out looking like that........now he looks like he stuck his toe in the light socket

 

[harrisville chicken]

Hmmmm, thanks for the input. I never considered a frizzle blood line. After googling RIR chicks and frizzle chicks photos, I have also noticed that RIR's don't have fuzzy legs and toes, frizzles do. We didn't know that RIR's didn't have that when we got them (I told you I'm a first timer). We did immediately notice the fuzzy feet, which led to their names of Merry and Pippin (from Lord of the Rings).