12 week pullet - Illness or runt? PLEASE READ - PIC ADDED!!!!!!!!

[tenderkat]

Hello Everyone,

I posted a question about one of my pullets last week in a different forum, but never really got any reponses. So, here it is, worded differently.

I received my 6 pullets at approximately 9 weeks old. They are now about 12 weeks old. I have 3 RIR, and 3 BR. So far, all have been doing fine, eating well, drinking, pooping, normal chicken stuff. I have become a bit concerned over one of my Barred
Rock, named Batgirl. All the other pullets are growing really well, and are getting bigger, except Batgirl. She seems to be really scrawny compared to the others, and doesn't seem to be getting bigger. She is now considerably smaller than the rest, at the same age. She eats fine, is actually kind of aggressive about food, and is drinking and pooping regularly.

I am wondering if she might have some kind of problem with her crop, that might be affecting her growth rate and ability to thrive. I have noticed lately, that what I assume to be her crop, always seems to be full. Of course, she is quite thin, so maybe it is more prominant than the other girl's. She doesn't smell or anything strange, and her behavior is fine.

Would it hurt to feed her a bit of bread soaked in olive oil, just in case her crop is sluggish? Should I also be putting some ACV in my girl's water?

Please, any advice is appreciated. If she is just small for her age, or is runtish,, I'll stop worrying. I just don't want to ignore a potential problem, and her health suffer.

Thanks so much!!

 

[jenni2142]

pics would help. Some have problems absorbing nutrients and you may want to try different foods for her or vitamins.

 

[tenderkat]

I went ahead and gave her some bread soaked in olive oil last night. She gobbled it up, and then the other chicks came over over, snatched it out of my hand, and along came the feeding frenzy. Oh well, a bit of extra fat won't hurt the flock, will it? I also plan on putting ACV in with their water. That seems to be what is generally done to help keep the chickens healthy, from what I've been reading.

This morning, I felt her crop. It seems to not be so bulgy, but she is REALLY BONEY, so it's hard to tell. This boniness is what is really worrying me, I really wish I could get her to put on some weight. I gave the girls boiled egg, yogurt, and a touch of unsweetened applesauce this morning. I have been giving them oatmeal in the mornings, but I think I'll stop that for awhile, and focus on protein snacks. Is it necessary to give any grit at this age?

I took a picture of her alongside one of the other Barred Rock. I hope I can post the PIC correctly. As you can see, Batgirl is considerably smaller than the others.

I'm still learning how to pick up my chicks. They are more than happy to jump up on me on their own, which is quite flattering, although I'm sure they just want me for my treats When I try to pick them up, they do everything they can to squirm away. I'd like to get them accustomed to my handling, so that I can begin checking them over for any signs of infestations, wounds, illnesses, etc. I've read on the site that I should be inspecting them regularly.

Perhaps Batgirl will always be petite, or maybe she'll play catch-up as she matures. But, I would really like to address this problem sooner than later. Any suggestions? Please?

Here she is in all her cuteness! She is the tiny one.

 

[ChickenCharmer]

She IS small! Could she possibly be a bantam?

 

[NotTheMomma]

I don't know anything about the coloring on BR, but did read something about the males being different coloring than the females. Could 'she' actually be a he?

Otherwise, I'd think probably a malabsorption problem, and I don't know of anything that could really help that.

As long as its acting healthy, and isn't getting bullied away from the feed, I'd try not to worry too much about it.

My 'runt' grew much slower, feathered much slower, etc., and turned out to be a roo. Mine is a BA though.

 

[tenderkat]

Chickencharmer..........I believe she is supposed to be a standard. The woman I got them from didn't mention anything about bantams, and I also didn't see any bantams running around her yard. She came from the same 'litter', so to speak, as the others.

NotTheMamma..................No, she's the same color as the other two, just dramatically smaller. When I got them, they were all the same size, she's just not growing. Oh, and I hope that she is a she!!

 

[jenni2142]

Yes they do need grit if they are eating anything other than crumbles. You can buy chick grit at the feed store or TSC or even parakeet grit at Walmart.