A couple runts in the chick flock

[nbenevento]

I have 14 chicks still in the brooder. 10 are about 3 weeks old and 4 are about 6 weeks old. 2 of the youngest group are so much smaller than the other 8. They look to be about a week and half younger then the others. They are all Black Copper Marans from the same hatch. They all seem healthy as well. The 8 all seem to be feathering quite well but the 2 runts aren't feathering nearly as much and are just smaller overall. Do you think they are simply just smaller and no further issue will come of it or should I expect a problem?

 

[ShawnaScott]

I'm no expert, but if they seem healthy now, I'd just wager that they're small. Runts happen in all animals, and there's a good chance in some that they are small due to some unforseen issue. I had two very small Japanese chicks, and after about a day they seemed to grow weaker, then died. If there is an issue due to being underdeveloped, it should have shown itself before now. They may have some weird disease that I don't know about, but I wouldn't worry about that too much. I have a couple chicks that feathered slow, and some that seem feathered a week after I brought em home. They're all about the same age, and now at 12 weeks, they're all feathered and doing fine.

 

[annanimal]

Dont worry at all, the eggs were probably just smaller than the other ones, if they seem healthy and they are eating well than you have nothing to worry about!!

I have a runt and he eats more than all the other ones, he is about a week old and he is perfectly healthy. Hope that helped!!