Baby chick not growing... when to be concerned???

[Stephanie8806]

@casportpony would you be willing to share your thoughts? I know you're pretty busy, but I'd love to see what you think. I wouod guess it's just failure to thrive then. That is caused by many things though. Bad genetics, just a weak bird, deficiencies, internal birth defects, etc.

Thanks for tagging someone! It’s weird, I hear the term “failure to thrive” and I think of a sick and lethargic chick. Besides her size, she seems normal. But you never know, it could be a sign of something more serious which is why I’m putting feelers out. I’m all down for being patient if she’s just a little behind, but I’d love to know what problem signs to look for in case things change.

 

[aart]

The others all were right around 90grams, and she clocked in at 62grams.

but my little chick was 28 grams when the others were 90 grams,

Maybe I missed something......same bird? If so, which weight is correct?

As long as she eating/drinking/pooping/moving around OK,
I'd not change her diet could complicate things...she might just be slow.

 

[MGG]

Thanks for tagging someone! It’s weird, I hear the term “failure to thrive” and I think of a sick and lethargic chick. Besides her size, she seems normal. But you never know, it could be a sign of something more serious which is why I’m putting feelers out. I’m all down for being patient if she’s just a little behind, but I’d love to know what problem signs to look for in case things change.

I think failure to thrive just means they are slow, not necessarily sick. I agree with @aart as long as she's eating drinking and pooping I'd let her keep going. Could you some Poultry Cell vitamins from your feed store? That will help if it's some kind of deficiency, and it's good to have on hand.

 

[MGG]

Maybe I missed something......same bird? If so, which weight is correct?

As long as she eating/drinking/pooping/moving around OK,
I'd not change her diet could complicate things...she might just be slow.

Different birds. The 62 gram weight is correct.

 

[Rainwing]

Maybe I missed something......same bird? If so, which weight is correct?

As long as she eating/drinking/pooping/moving around OK,
I'd not change her diet could complicate things...she might just be slow.

no, two different chicks. I am talking about my own chick (28 gram) who passed away after not growing to compare the difference in their mass (a 28 gram chick vs a 62 gram chick in a batch of chicks that are around 90 grams). the 62 gram chick is the thread owner's chick, the current issue at hand. my point is that Stephanie8806's chick has a better chance of survival because it has a higher mass than mine did.

 

[aart]

The 62 gram weight is correct.

no, two different chicks.

Ohhhh!! I see now wasn't paying close enough attention

 

[Stephanie8806]

UPDATE: Little chick still looks small, but this morning she clocked in at 77grams! That’s 15 grams gained in a day and a half. I’m glad I started weighing her because I wouldn’t have been able to tell there was and growth just by looking

 

[Stephanie8806]

UPDATE: Little chick is still small, but gaining weight. Her wings and tail are feathering nicely, but no sign of feathers on her body yet(have had the chicks for just over two weeks). It’s interesting, it’s like she’s 4-5 days behind the others, growth wise. Her energy is good and she’s a voracious eater. Gave the girls a hard boiled egg today and it was like a feeding frenzy! Little chick held her own and got as much egg as anyone else, if not more because she didn’t waste time chasing the other girls around.

Should I basically only get concerned if her temperament/energy changes?

 

[aart]

Should I basically only get concerned if her temperament/energy changes?

As long as she's eating/drinking/pooping/moving around OK I'd not worry.
Might keep weighing her just to alleviate your own anxiety....plus it would be an interesting addition to seeing how she progresses.