Baby chicken has big bump on neck, not as active as other babies

[Tatuana]

I've noticed ever since Invi was born that she wasn't as active as the other two babies. I've been keeping an eye on her ever since. She's half the size of the others, much more shy, and is the only on who insists on snuggling into my hands to sleep. She seems... Lonely? Sickly? I'm not sure how to put it. Just not acting like the other two birds are. Then tonight I noticed a huge lump on her throat/side/I'm not even sure where. I know from the one day I had an unexpected zebra finch baby that birds have crops that fill. But the other two aren't puffing up like her. She also doesn't have that pep in her step - never has, though.

Any insight into what's going on? Could she just be a lazy baby and that's why the stepping? She's eating Purina Start and grow non medicated chick feed. They drink clean water, which I refill often. Their cages are cleaned twice a day as well. Heat is normal.... They all have pasty butt, but I don't think that's related.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ch9s2uo67njc4os/VID_20190201_234724004.mp4?dl=0 Here you can see her attitude. Around 47 seconds in I hold her so you can see the bump on her chest.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7yxly77kzba475x/VID_20190201_235025549.mp4?dl=0 This one you can see how TINY she is compared to the other two.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zjhrzaa9q0qxa1b/VID_20190201_234820456.mp4?dl=0 This is what she does every time she gets into my hands. She also shivers a lot?

I just want to be sure it's normal for her to be smaller, and that the bump is okay. And the lethargic could just be her personality. Invi was the one who took a full day after her brothers to hatch.

Invi is a Rhode Island Red OR a Buckeye. The tall black baby with feathers on his legs is a Black Copper Marans. Angry Baby has the gray spot on his head. He's a Barred Rock. No idea on genders yet, but I think all male.

 

[tacothechicken]

I can't see your vids but was lump solid or soft? Some babies are lazy or inactive generally. My original flock we thought our Delaware was a bantam she was so small and weak! Didn't think she'd last to 4 months but she eventually hit a growth spurt and caught up in size! Once she was able to gain confidence she became much more lively and ended up leading the flock. Most RIR chicks I've seen are pretty hardy and some chicks love hands while others hate them my bets on the baby will be fine unless there's an illness or actual disease involved and showing signs like mucus or odd sounds.
Ps I would fix their pasty butt though, as I'm sure it's uncomfortable and can cause issues hygiene wise. Soak their tiny butts in a capfu of Lukewarm water for a few then rub for a moment and it should break down

 

[Tatuana]

Will I checked on her again today and the bump is gone! It was a large soft bump. It didn't seem to bother her. It was more on her chest than neck, so I didn't think it was her throat. Maybe it was? She still has a really big chest, but it's evenly puffed now.

I'm hoping she will spring up in size! The other two like to pick on her. She's not friendly at all to humans either. I'm sure her being a different breed has something to do with it.

I've been working on the goo on their behinds foe two days. When it's not a liquid it's just stuck. Like they sat while they pooped? It's always stuck there. Only Oogity seems to be okay at keeping clean. I'll try soaking the little terrors today and see if that helps. Even more fun than trying to get a cranky baby yo hold still is getting a cranky baby who's busy practicing jumping to hold still. They're too busy for a bath!

 

[chickens really]

Vaseline their butts and make sure the temperature in the Brooder is correct. Also make sure they can escape the heat too. Add in stumps and fun things for them to do.

 

[WickedChicksNH]

My experience is when they gobble up food it sits in that area before it digests
Used to happen to my light brahma all the time when she was a baby. Some days it would get bigger than other days. Once the food digested the lump went away.
I add grit to her food

 

[chickens really]

The lump is it's crop and nothing to worry about ..That's where food goes first before it's processed in the gizzard.

 

[tacothechicken]

Yup the crop sits off to the side of the breast bone and goes from solid to soft as food digests. Most likely you tiny one stuffed her self full so it was more noticeable and made her lethargic after big meals do! baby pigeons have huge crops that look crazy so you're not odd for being weirded out its why hens who have a more upright stature sometimes have more 'shapely' chests, because the full crop is more pronounced beneath feathers

 

[Tatuana]

Oh good! I'm glad it's nothing to worry about. She tends to follow the herd and eat when they eat, even if she's not hungry. So maybe she just made a pig of herself. And yes, she looks like she has very shapely breasts! Except she leans way over, and may be a he.

Really quick - I've been using paper towels under her water dish because she's messy. She's taken up eating the paper towels... Ah, should I tell her not to and remove them? Or should I just let her go? They seem to be a favored treat now. (She eats a crumb or two and then goes to bed)
I DID change out her water dish to stop that. It's now a proper baby water dish. Which brings up a second really quick question if that's okay (I don't want to go too off topic, sorry if I am!). The new water dish is deeper than she's used to. She's taken up shoving her entire head in and then jumping out in shock that there's water. I'm assuming that's.... bad. I put the marbles back in to keep her from doing that. Is there a good age to take the marbles out? Transitioning them to no marbles seems like it would be hard with her head dunking.


My other two babies - while LOUD - are perfect little angels, mostly. Oogity is the perfect chicken. Angry Baby has poo on his back and screams on top of his cave. (He's less than a week old! That's way too young, isn't it?!) Invi is the only one I'm worried about not being strong and healthy! She's so tiny.

 

[tacothechicken]

Could you post a pick of the water set up? Ive never needed to place marbles in chick water but if it's really helpfully then I'd leave them till they're double the size of hatching and are more physically coordinated so they don't accidently drown themselves.

 

[chickens really]

The way you talk it sounds like a a Duckling not a chick..