5 Week Old Chick Feathering poorly, skinny... any ideas?

[athalia17]

I purchased blue orpington eggs. They hatched out and there was this little black one, sort of the runt but fluffy. All the chicks are now 5 weeks old and this little black one has poorly developed feathers- she looks like a vulture, and I felt her tonight and she is skinny. Could she have something? Her feathers are clean, but it looks like she has a little bit of dry skin (not moving, or like lice). I don't remember the breeder saying they were NPIP certified or anything like that. What does all that mean, could she have something contagious? She runs around just fine and seems to be happy, she is just still runty and very sad looking- like someone plucked half her feathers out. I'm still newer to all this so I appreciate help.

Also- what should I use for a dust bath? I feel like the play sand isn't light enough. They really never dust bath in it (we are talking the older chickens now- like 4 months old). Should it be more like silica sand? Do I need to mix anything in with it? Should I put it in a pool? It's just in the run right now- the ground.

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[GitaBooks]

Could you post a picture of her compared to her siblings?

NPIP just means they are part of the poultry improvement plan and try to breed birds tested against the biggest, scariest of diseases.

Chicks love dust baths. You can make a soil, wood ash, sand mixture for them to play in. A pool is a good idea, as it is large, shallow, and light weight (when empty).

Best of luck!

 

[athalia17]

She has grown bigger than many of her siblings, and her feathers did eventually come in.

 

[GitaBooks]

That's good.

 

[athalia17]

Yeah, funny. She definitely isn't the prettiest hen. Supposed to be bbs orpington. She is black with tan lacing around a few feather on her neck... almost like a ring around her neck. Me thinks she isn't fully bbs orpington!!