4 week old chicks growing at different speeds (also what gender?)

[newbiechickenmamma11]

Hello - new to raising chicks. I have 3 cuckoo marans chicks hatched November 29, making them 4 weeks old in these pictures attached. They've been growing at different speeds and one is very large, one is medium sized and one has barely grown. Due to their age I am keen to start transitioning them outdoors during the day soon, but am concerned about the littlest one (#3)

I'm wondering:

- Is the littlest chick doing okay for its age? Is it healthy / is there anything I can do to help it? I have 16 chicks total (all same age) and this one is by far the smallest and is feathering slow. Would it be okay to have outdoors time during the day along with the others? I'm in Australia so it's warm, but it's still so small.

- Also, I've read that you can start sexing cuckoo marans by this age. #1 & #2 have grown much larger and I guess naturally have started growing their combs. They also seem to have lighter feathers/barring. Would those 2 be cockerals, and the littlest one (#3) be a pullet?

Thank you!

 

[CHlCKEN]

What are they eating?

 

[Ch1cken Tender]

Hello - new to raising chicks. I have 3 cuckoo marans chicks hatched November 29, making them 4 weeks old in these pictures attached. They've been growing at different speeds and one is very large, one is medium sized and one has barely grown. Due to their age I am keen to start transitioning them outdoors during the day soon, but am concerned about the littlest one (#3)

I'm wondering:

- Is the littlest chick doing okay for its age? Is it healthy / is there anything I can do to help it? I have 16 chicks total (all same age) and this one is by far the smallest and is feathering slow. Would it be okay to have outdoors time during the day along with the others? I'm in Australia so it's warm, but it's still so small.

- Also, I've read that you can start sexing cuckoo marans by this age. #1 & #2 have grown much larger and I guess naturally have started growing their combs. They also seem to have lighter feathers/barring. Would those 2 be cockerals, and the littlest one (#3) be a pullet?

Thank you!

I’m no expert, but they all seem to be fine to me! Sometimes they just develop differently . Also, it may be hopeful thinking, but I think you have three pullets! If you post again when they are six weeks old, any guesses you receive will probably be a bit more accurate .

 

[newbiechickenmamma11]

What are they eating?

Hi I'm based in Australia and they're eating Green Valley Grains starter/grower mash - https://www.greenvalleygrains.com/product-page/open-range-starter-grower-mash

Which was recommended by another breeder I got some other chicks from.

 

[newbiechickenmamma11]

I’m no expert, but they all seem to be fine to me! Sometimes they just develop differently . Also, it may be hopeful thinking, but I think you have three pullets! If you post again when they are six weeks old, any guesses you receive will probably be a bit more accurate .

Haha I would love 3 pullets! I will post again in a few weeks

 

[Ch1cken Tender]

Haha I would love 3 pullets! I will post again in a few weeks

Yay! I love seeing follow ups on posts like these.

 

[2ndTink]

Too early for me to make good guesses, but as a wild guess I'd lean cockerel for #2. I've had a few that are just small and they've done fine, one caught up with everyone else and another ended up a bit more dainty than her sisters but not significantly smaller.

If it's acting normal I wouldn't worry about it. It is likely fine, it could possibly be a failure to thrive but it's hard to say. Either way, it's best chance is a good balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

 

[Pigeony]

I am concerned about #3. It might be a failure to thrive. Any chick I've had that grew that minimally for 4 weeks continued to not grow and get weaker. It's just my concern from a few photos, I could be wrong. But you're the one who's been watching these birds grow, so do you feel like that chick has increased in size in any significant way? Does it even have the start of a tail? Has it had any problems digestive-wise like pasty butt or have you noticed that one have less of an appetite or less energy?

How about its actual body condition? Are the toes skinny or peeling or do they look like normal baby chick feet? Does the bird have some weight and size to it or does it feel much bonier and lighter than the others do/did? If you feel the keel of all three birds, does the smallest one's keel feel particularly prominent?

Could just wait and see, but I'd be taking a proactive approach and trying to get ahead of this. Putting electrolytes in their water and supplementing with brewer's yeast and/or scrambled eggs in their diet could support that chick's development; it might have a fixable vitamin deficiency or could just be a weak chick that needs a little extra care. Also could just be a late bloomer or have some sort of uncommon condition. Regardless, I agree with 2ndTink that a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle is the chick's best chance no matter why it's growing so much slower than the others.

 

[newbiechickenmamma11]

Hello I am also concerned about chick #3, regarding your questions, #3 is much smaller than the other two.

Since I got them as day old chicks, it has barely grown much bigger. It has started develop its wing feathers as you can see, but at a very slow speed. In its first week, it got pecked on by another chick on its nose and had a little injury there, which healed up. It hasn’t had pasty butt or any digestive issues. Its toes look like normal baby chick feet, but it is definitely lighter than others. The keel feels around the same prominence as the other two. I have attached some more photos. It hasn’t got any tail feathers or any other feathers, except for its small wing feathers.

Behaviour wise, it seems to be acting normal, it’s just so much smaller than its two hatch mates pictured. It comes to me & enjoys treats when I feed them - thyme and meal worms. However there is one other chick that keeps picking on it and attempting to peck #3's feathers. I've since isolated that chick to try and stop this behaviour.

I will definitely try the electrolytes and scrambled eggs. Should I just feed it to the little chick, or give it to all the chicks?

I am concerned about #3. It might be a failure to thrive. Any chick I've had that grew that minimally for 4 weeks continued to not grow and get weaker. It's just my concern from a few photos, I could be wrong. But you're the one who's been watching these birds grow, so do you feel like that chick has increased in size in any significant way? Does it even have the start of a tail? Has it had any problems digestive-wise like pasty butt or have you noticed that one have less of an appetite or less energy?

How about its actual body condition? Are the toes skinny or peeling or do they look like normal baby chick feet? Does the bird have some weight and size to it or does it feel much bonier and lighter than the others do/did? If you feel the keel of all three birds, does the smallest one's keel feel particularly prominent?

Could just wait and see, but I'd be taking a proactive approach and trying to get ahead of this. Putting electrolytes in their water and supplementing with brewer's yeast and/or scrambled eggs in their diet could support that chick's development; it might have a fixable vitamin deficiency or could just be a weak chick that needs a little extra care. Also could just be a late bloomer or have some sort of uncommon condition. Regardless, I agree with 2ndTink that a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle is the chick's best chance no matter why it's growing so much slower than the others.

 

[2ndTink]

There are way more knowledgeable people on BYC than me, I've only raised between 150 and 200 chicks, but in my experience I can do all the right feed, vitamins, electrolytes, etc and some will pull through and others just won't. I think you are doing things right, just keep on with good feed, the right brooder temperature, support it the best you can, and then it's up to the chick. Sometimes there are hatch issues, maybe a heart defect or other organ that didn't develop right.