What is this? White tipped feathers on hen's head

[CraziChknLady]

It doesn't look like a sheath or any pin feathers. I rubbed it and it seems like the tips are turning white. I will try to get better pictures tomorrow. It doesn't wipe off either.

Here are more pics. I apologize for not getting them in yesterday. Got sort of busy going to town for errands. Looks like she has a few sheaths of feathers on her one wing, which were not there yesterday. So I am willing to best its molt or stress.
Here are better pics of the black one.

 

[CraziChknLady]

Thank you. I appreciate it....its been quite a hectic time since May. I had started over May 2024 with 8 chickens. Previous I had sold what I had in November 2023. I cleaned the coop and stored everything. I let the ground settle and everything grew back. No sickness or anything, it was just a "I'm done with this." I needed a break. So it makes me think that the original 8 were sick when I got them...or something. Between mites, the various respiratory issues, vitamin deficiencies and now the lash egg. I had one 18wk old have a vitamin B deficiency which got him back to health and then a month or two later it happened again but I could never get his vitamin levels up. He passed. I currently have another hen with a vitamin D deficiency. She had just started laying and has no shells to her eggs. She's a Black Jersey Giant, but she's always seemed off...even when she looks up at me at random times it seems like she's curving her neck down off to the side and then looks up sideways. But looks normal any other time. I have 40 total (11 roos). We will see how this summer goes. Sadly, I am not sure the one with the lash egg nor the shelless egg will ever get better. If they don't they might be put on my cull list. And oddly, this is my 5-6 flock..maybe 7, I've lost count at this point. I have never dealt with this many issues and makes me wonder if something was wrong with the hatchery chicks I bought last year too. At one point I had close to 60, sold a bunch (before the sickness/respiratory stuff) and have lost about 6-7 or so to sickness/predators. Its crazy.

I am happy to report that the Blk Jersery Giant has laid an egg yesterday and the day before and they look great! Shell is good! I gave her poultry cell as well as 600mg Vitamin D, it was a supplement that also had Calcium in it. Figured it couldn't hurt. Very pleased this has helped her!

 

[NanaK]

She did have broken/missing feathers (from the rooster)

Since then she now has these white tips on her feathers.

I have seen similar white feather tips on hens that had feather damage from mating. Roosters will grab the back of the hen's head with his beak while mating. Sometimes this damages the feathers. When new feathers come in they will have white tips like this. When she molts again the feathers may or may not have white tips again.

Glad the calcium+vitamin D helped her shells. You may have to repeat this a few days to get consistant results. Hopefully it will work itself out. Make sure you have some oyster shell they can access.

She is a beautiful girl.

 

[CraziChknLady]

I have seen similar white feather tips on hens that had feather damage from mating. Roosters will grab the back of the hen's head with his beak while mating. Sometimes this damages the feathers. When new feathers come in they will have white tips like this. When she molts again the feathers may or may not have white tips again.

Glad the calcium+vitamin D helped her shells. You may have to repeat this a few days to get consistant results. Hopefully it will work itself out. Make sure you have some oyster shell they can access.

She is a beautiful girl.

Thank you! Yes I have some very vigorous roosters but at least this banty roo is much nicer to the girls compared to the other one. Other one was pulled and put in a bachelor flock where he pretty much is king. I appreciate the info, as I didn't know they could come back different colors. I thought whatever colors come through that's what they always are. Didn't realize they can change as they age, but it makes a lot of sense. Reminds me of when dogs start to go gray on their nose and face.