6 week old only baby fluff.

[Judy]

I've read about this on here but never experienced it. There is something called a dwarf gene, and also, some chicks are just slow to develop. The outcome varies -- sometimes they end up looking like everyone else, sometimes not. It's true I gather that roos develop feathers more slowly, but that seems extreme, to just be because it might be a roo. There is probably more than one cause of what is called failure to thrive, too, so I suppose this could be one outcome of it.

 

[Anianna]

I was trying to find a specific thread, but I guess it is older than I thought and I can't find it now, but one poster had a chick much like Nan that didn't appear to be growing at all and then it suddenly had a growth spurt and you couldn't tell the difference between it and it's flockmates. In that case, there must have been some severely stunted growth development rather than a dwarf gene, but there is still no telling what caused it without some serious veterinary study on the matter. Maybe these little guys will suddenly grow up or maybe they'll be little fluffbutts their entire lives. I would like to see all of the owners of these little ones keep together so we can learn more about the little ones.

I just hope it's not something that can be bred in. Some will, no doubt, start some intensive breeding program to breed chicks that stay chicks and the general populace will go gaga over them until any severe health limitations are finally documented.

 

[flnatv]

Quote:
Agreed!!!