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Birds--General/2 week old chick, not developing feathers properly...

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Expert: Abi - 3/1/2009


Question

Back of Neck
OK so about 2 weeks ago we got some chicks in the mail. All of them seemed to be fine except this one black sexlink. It was mostly bald under it's wings and on it's neck. It also had a bit of a bulge on the side of it's neck. The bulge is gone now, however her feathers are not growing in properly. She is now almost completely bald under her wings, and the feathers growing in on the back of her neck are very spikey? They almost don't feel like feathers so much as an extension of the skin. Do you have any clue what could be wrong with her? We know she is female, and very possibly at the bottom of the pecking order already, but I really don't think this is caused by that. Please any idea what might be causing this? Thank you!

Answer
She looks pretty normal to me! Some chicks are a bit weird at first but soon sort themselves out. A lot of the feathers still have the sheaths on them so that makes them look extra strange. Give her another week to see how she gets on.

Thanks for your question.

Abi

Expertise

I CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS ON ANIMALS OTHER THAN CHICKENS/DUCKS/GEESE- I WILL TRY BUT THEY ARE NOT MY SPECIALIST SUBJECT- PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT BUDGIES, FINCHES, PARROTS, COCKATIELS OR OTHER 'EXOTIC' BIRDS. I can answer questions on pretty much all CHICKEN breeds, including fancy and bantam birds. I can give advice on how to get the best egg production, brightest yolk colours and darkest egg shell colours, breeding (using broody hens, not incubators), bird problems/illnesses. I can give advice on all aspects of basic chicken care but I breed chickens for my own pleasure only, I do not often show or sell my birds.

Experience

I own and breed a wide range of chickens, but I speciallise in cochins and crevecour bantams; crevecours have a large crest (an afro!) so I can answer questions on problems concerning them; cochins have feathered legs, which leads to no end of problems which I have experienced! I also own a large flock of domestic, rescued 'battery' hens, and a single maran hen, Hilda, who is the matriarch of her flock, so I can give advice on how to get the best colour of maran eggs!

Education/Credentials
n/a

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