What's Up With This Chick?

[Jedifam7]

This chick has super irregular feather patterns, we can't figure out why. none of the other hatchlings look like this- it's eating and drinking fine but it's feathers are obviously not developing. Any ideas?
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[nuthatched]

His feet look a bit swollen too, what's his diet? It could just be funky genetics.

 

[Jedifam7]

Thank you. Nothing unusual in the diet, it's medicated chick starter. A lot of the birds were born with THICC legs but the father is a Black Orpington and he's a big boy.

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

Hmm… that’s a naked chick!

 

[Canadian Wind]

I had a Lavender Orpington cockerel that was in a similar state. Slow to grow and feather out, and eventually just became splay-legged. With all his issues, I brought him inside and tried to get him to recover, but eventually I decided the best thing to do was cull him, as he just kept getting worse.

Hope yours does better than mine did!

 

[Jedifam7]

I had a Lavender Orpington cockerel that was in a similar state. Slow to grow and feather out, and eventually just became splay-legged. With all his issues, I brought him inside and tried to get him to recover, but eventually I decided the best thing to do was cull him, as he just kept getting worse.

Hope yours does better than mine did!

Interesting, we'll keep an eye on him.