White/fraying on dark feathers

[Lor]

7 1/2 weeks - Gold laced wyandotte with white frayed feather tips.
Does this mean she will molt soon or a deficiency?
These would be newly acquired feathers as she took a long time to get them in. Chick is Thistle, the runt, which is why I question the feather situation.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Pictures?

 

[Lor]

Best I have for pic at the moment.
This chick has had me worried from the get go.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Best I have for pic at the moment.
This chick has had me worried from the get go.

Looks like extra fluffy juvenile plumage to me. I won't worry about that.

 

[Lor]

You can see a feather or two sticking out from the run fence.
It's white frayed tips.

 

[MysteryChicken]

You can see a feather or two sticking out from the run fence.
It's white frayed tips.

Yes, I saw in the previous picture too.

 

[Lor]

Yes, I saw in the previous picture too.

Wasn't sure how well it can be seen in the previous pic.
Thanks for your help!

 

[GabrielBernard]

You can see a feather or two sticking out from the run fence.
It's white frayed tips.

You said the bird worried you from the get go..
That looks very similiar to birds who had a high load of parasites/malnutrition/strong illness in the beginning of feather growth and the lower growth of the feather was well feed/nourished and grew in normally.

Basically when the bird is sick, there is less energy going to feather growth and you can see the healing process coming out in the feather. When the bird gets better, the feather growth will start to look better also.

The lower part of the feathers looks well formed, so whatever ailed the bird that caused the feathers to start a weak growth, has been gone.

I have more experience with wild birds, but I have seen enough similiar feather damage with them. And much more extensive damage where the wing feathers were like feather-dusters(no connection so its structure turned out like silky feathers) or had horizontal stripes and broke off there.

The feather is basically showing you the history of her life.
A rough start, but it went better and is now gone.
It will molt normally whenever the chicken is due with it, and the new grown feathers will look normal.

Whatever caused the rough start, the feathers show that you managed to make it go away.

 

[Lor]

You said the bird worried you from the get go..
That looks very similiar to birds who had a high load of parasites/malnutrition/strong illness in the beginning of feather growth and the lower growth of the feather was well feed/nourished and grew in normally.

Basically when the bird is sick, there is less energy going to feather growth and you can see the healing process coming out in the feather. When the bird gets better, the feather growth will start to look better also.

The lower part of the feathers looks well formed, so whatever ailed the bird that caused the feathers to start a weak growth, has been gone.

I have more experience with wild birds, but I have seen enough similiar feather damage with them. And much more extensive damage where the wing feathers were like feather-dusters(no connection so its structure turned out like silky feathers) or had horizontal stripes and broke off there.

The feather is basically showing you the history of her life.
A rough start, but it went better and is now gone.
It will molt normally whenever the chicken is due with it, and the new grown feathers will look normal.

Whatever caused the rough start, the feathers show that you managed to make it go away.

Thank you.
The chick hasn't been ill per se but is slow to grow and feather in. She's still much smaller than her siblings. Since she seemed to be always eating but not growing much I wondered from the start if she wasn't absorbing nutrients like she should. She's doing well so not sure what the issue could be.

 

[Lor]

I have more experience with wild birds, but I have seen enough similiar feather damage with them. And much more extensive damage where the wing feathers were like feather-dusters(no connection so its structure turned out like silky feathers) or had horizontal stripes and broke off there.

The feather is basically showing you the history of her life.
A rough start, but it went better and is now gone.
It will molt normally whenever the chicken is due with it, and the new grown feathers will look normal.

Whatever caused the rough start, the feathers show that you managed to make it go away.

I wanted to thank you again.
I hadn't heard of this and found reading up on stress bars in bird feathering interesting.