Chick slow in feathering

[elizajay]

I have a single pekin bantam chick hatched on 8th August, so nearly 4 weeks old. It has got a little line of feathers that look as if they have been stitched on halfway down its wings, a few feathers on each knee and the tiniest pair of tail feathers. Otherwise just fluffy baby. I am sure this is very slow, but have nothing to compare it to apart from a single L/F brahma chick a week older that is nearly fully feathered and a huge creature.
The little one is very lively and range ranges with it's "mother" a Japanese bantam.
Should I be worried?

[gillian62]

Not sure, but may be a cockrel, as they feather up later than hens. We have 3 orpingtons, who are 3 1/2 weeks old, only 1 of them is well feathered, the other 2 have limited feathers and lots of fluff, but they are also thinner, taller and strutting around so think they are likely to be little boys.

[lynda66]

does sound like a boy .... they are usually slower .... as long as it's lively and eating properly it should feather up when it's ready

[Glutton4...]

Mine are now eighteen days old. The four dark ones all have long (full length) wing feathers, and tails, and can fly the length of their pen, which is a good three feet. Three of the six pale ones are the same. The other three are only just growing tail feathers, and have half length wing feathers - there is a noticeable difference, so I still think I have three boys out of the ten! Curiously, all their faces and combs are developing at the same rate.

I've never done this before, so it's all new to me. And fascinating!