I have two Ayam Cemani chicks, one boy one girl. The girl became ill at 3 weeks of age (treated for cocci) and made a full recovery. Well, she has not grown since or has any new feathers. She eats, drinks, sleeps and is active like the other chicks. Her brother is 4 times her size. I have read this happens to others but they tend to be weak where she is not. Or that some chicks take longer to grow than others, but not to grow for over a month? Has this happened to any one else? What is going on?
I'd say your dealing with failure to thrive; a runt, so to speak. It may have been caused by the stress of the cocci on her system, or it may have simply been a random issue she has always had the potential for. Birds like this... they're slow to grow. Slow to feather. They are not always slower or more sickly looking than their flockmates, though it's common. It's also pretty common for these birds to die before they reach adulthood. Those that survive rarely have the vigor and health of a "normal" bird, though a few might grow up to be normal. All you can do is keep her as unstressed as possible. She may survive, and the fact that she acts healthy is a good sign, but be prepared to loose her.
Thank you. I've lost so many to various things so far that nothing no longer surprises me. It seems like it's been one thing after another for me since I've started with chickens this year. I cannot figure out if I'm doing something horribly wrong or if my luck is just bad! My little runt is currently living inside my house with my peachicks. None of them realize they're different specie, they all love each other. Right now she's got it made!
