- Mar 24, 2010
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This is my first time raising chicks! It was immediately apparent that one of my ancoras is much smaller than the others and was very weak in the beginning. She pepped up with some sugar water and does know how to eat and drink on her own, but prefers to eat out of my hand. As the rest have grown she has stayed half the size of the others. Her wings don't seem to fit to her sides the way the other chicks' do, and the feathers on her wings are ragged and she seems to be missing some. Her right foot now has a completely crooked toe. Everyone keeps telling me she won't make it but she's still alive day to day, just much smaller than the others. I've tried separating her and it seems to stress her too much, she "cries" and gets really worked up and it takes her even longer to recover from that, so I leave her with the others. But I worry that as they get bigger they're going to pick on her for being so small and crowd her out of the food dish, which won't help her seeing as she doesn't eat much anyway. Does this sound familiar to anyone else? Wondering if I should be preparing for the worst and hoping it's not something contagious... I have veterinary experience and I'd guess that this is congenital but I'm definitely new in the ways of chickens! I want her to make it, especially now that she's the only one that comes right to me when I call her because she knows I'll give her food! I'm attached
I'll take all the help I can get!
