8wk barred rock acting lethargic ????

[r3rjr]

I have 3 female barred rocks. Had them since day one. Two have grown to be strong and always follow each other in the run. The third, still has fur (mostly around neck), and is very laid back. I never see the larger hens pick on her. They are all like sisters.

She eats & drinks. She doesn't try to peck at anything shiny, and loves to be petted. Almost sounds like a perfect pet, but I feel something is wrong. I also can note she is not as large as the other two, and her tail feathers have grown down.. not up or pointy like her sisters.

My daughters just love how he is so friendly, but I fear of her future.
Any ideas/suggests?
Thank you.

 

[threehorses]

The third has failure to thrive for one reason or another - possibly before hatch, genetics, during hatch, or after.

What exactly are you feeding them? starter? Starter grower? What percentage protein? What bedding? What is their brooder like exactly?

I would start with vitamin supplementation for her specifically, probiotics given to the three of them.

For vitamins, give 2 drops of Polyvisol baby vitamins in her beak daily. Not in the feed and not in the water but directly onto the side of their beak so she gets it directly. You should get the non-iron-fortified formula (which you can find in the vitamin, not baby section oddly, of Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, etc).

I would also give all babies yogurt daily for a few days to enhance digestiong. Mix with a little boiled egg yolk (1 teaspoon yogurt, a whole yolk) as a treat. Sprinkle crumbles on top of it to get them to eat it. Make sure she gets some.

I would NOT start antibiotics of any kind. I suspect she's either having nutritional deficiency or something that she was just born with. We're going to try to jumpstart her health with the above treatment to get her to catch up.

Also make sure that the feeder is big enough for her to eat without them bothering her. Feel her chest - she should be as fat as the others. if not she might need a little spoiling for a while to get her to catch up.

Do the vitamins and daily yogurt for a week. NOtify us within this post of ANY changes at all - good or bad. That way your subscribers will know there's a change and get a private email saying "come read this post".

Then we'll go from there.

Thank you for your upcoming replies to which I look forward.

 

[r3rjr]

Started today on the polyvisol. (expensive @ $10.00).... She really likes to lay around while the other two are snooping all over.

Food: PenPal chicken starter/grower medicated.
18% min protein

Bedding: shaved pine

Living in a coop with a nice run.


Just enjoys to relax.

Time by the fence.

One of the active girls.

 

[threehorses]

Deleted as I repeated.

 

[threehorses]

Well at a glance she looks like a healthy chicken. Are they all getting grit now? she's at least feathered in on her neck - I thought perhaps she was still fuzzy-fuzzy-, but she's feathered in and has those weird clinging baby feathers the way they sometimes do.

I suspect she's just behind the others, but not being active and investigative is always something to note.

What about droppings again? All normal? her weight - does she feel the same as the others, fleshed out enough?

Her feed is appropriate, her area looks great.

 

[shelby528]

I also have that problem with my barred rock chicks. I bought 7, now have 4 as three have died and out of my 4 my 1 little guy is still the same size as he was when I got him. The others are growing well and doing fine. They are all eating and drinking well. I put acidopholis in their food and I am constantly keeping an eye on their poop and how much they are drinking! Try this!