Help.... Runt? Dwarfism? Failure to Thrive?

[3KillerBs]

No deformities. Everything checks out structurally with her.

I was asking the OP about Midge.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I was asking the OP about Midge.

Okay, I wasn't sure. There wasn't a quote, so I replied thinking it was a question for me.

 

[schrephouse]

Is she physically deformed or just small?

I have an article about Slowpoke, my deformed cockerel, here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/slowpoke-a-reality-check-after-an-assisted-hatch.77702/

I butchered him yesterday and took carcass photos but haven't updated the article yet. With his feathers off it was clear that he was so severely malformed that if he had been a female he'd have died trying to lay the first egg because there was only a 2-finger-wide space between his pelvis and his breastbone. No room for an egg to pass.

She doesn't seem to have length to her neck and legs and her wings seem to long for her body. But frankly, I'm not certain. Here is another picture today. These birds are the same age. Bought at TSH Australorp. Sorry about you guy. I will check out that link. Interested in your findings.

 

[alinas2010]

I'm trying to wrap my head around ways to make her life easier and more, without completely separating her. My husband said lastnight "What can we do with her, let her live in the house...No she can't live in the house". We have feed and water she can get to. She goes when others are occupied and eats. We have a small brooder hutch and run that we usually reserve for broody hens and chicks. We could allocate it as her living space but alone?

I don’t know that I would permanently separate her, but maybe some pictures of your coop and run set up could give us ideas on how to help. I’m gonna be honest, if i didn’t have this dang fiancé, my ladies would all be house chickens but alas, he also puts his foot down for house chicken.

 

[Paz]

I think you can place her some lower smaller things to use and she’ll probably be fine. I don’t think that’s a bantam! They usually fly and jump without a problem.

 

[Geena]

She doesn't seem to have length to her neck and legs and her wings seem to long for her body. But frankly, I'm not certain. Here is another picture today. These birds are the same age. Bought at TSH Australorp. Sorry about you guy. I will check out that link. Interested in your findings.

Such a cute little girl Have you palpated down her back and sides? The way she holds her neck makes me think she may have a spinal deformity.

 

[schrephouse]

Such a cute little girl Have you palpated down her back and sides? The way she holds her neck makes me think she may have a spinal deformity.

I haven't felt her neck are very well. I have felt down her back and sides. I dont feel any obvious curvature or deformity. I don't see any obvious hump or or bend. Under all those feathers her frame feels tiny. Like a 4 week old chick with big feathers. Another thing, she still has tiny chick feather (her sisters baby feathers are long gone) you can see in the photos near her head and neck. I describe her and just feeling so fragile.

 

[schrephouse]

I think you can place her some lower smaller things to use and she’ll probably be fine. I don’t think that’s a bantam! They usually fly and jump without a problem.

Good idea. We did put a perch bar about 12-14" high but she doesn't use it. She does get on the cat crate at night (her attempt to be as close to her sisters as possible). I will try to find a way to give her more low items.

 

[Geena]

I haven't felt her neck are very well. I have felt down her back and sides. I dont feel any obvious curvature or deformity. I don't see any obvious hump or or bend. Under all those feathers her frame feels tiny. Like a 4 week old chick with big feathers. Another thing, she still has tiny chick feather (her sisters baby feathers are long gone) you can see in the photos near her head and neck. I describe her and just feeling so fragile.

Poor baby. I think your husband may be right. It's likely she has some sort of metabolic problem since she's not growing or molting properly. The dwarf chickens I've had have all been perfectly healthy. You're doing a great job with her As long as she isn't getting picked on I wouldn't separate her.

 

[schrephouse]

Poor baby. I think your husband may be right. It's likely she has some sort of metabolic problem since she's not growing or molting properly. The dwarf chickens I've had have all been perfectly healthy. You're doing a great job with her As long as she isn't getting picked on I wouldn't separate her.

One consolation is she's so happy in spite of the obvious hardships and disadvantages compared to siblings. She knows how to get around (or crawl under) the big girls. My worry is eventually I need to merge the older flock of 6 with her flock of 8. Her siblings treat her so well now, I worry how she will manage outside of the growout run. It will be several weeks yet so I suppose we will see where she's at then. I wonder if its dwarfism and will die in the next few weeks. If she survives to egg producing I wonder if that will kill her too. I wonder if it's kinder to cull her, but she is so darn happy and cute. In the meantime I want to make her life as easy and enjoyable as possible.