birds that don't grow...

[millipede]

We've been hatching out some small batches of chickens and quail this year...
There's been several batches where we'd have a runt... one that just didn't seem to grow. It would be more noticeable with the quail as they grow quickly... sometimes after a week or two one will be half the size of the others.
So far, I believe, every runt we've had ended up dying. Outside of the lack of growth, these birds seemed healthy and full of life.

What are the things we should be looking for or treatments we might try? I think we've used some hard boiled egg with a few. Not sure why. My wife looks stuff up on the internet and just makes assumptions about what's true and all. Sometimes that's good, simply doing a search online... sometimes, not that great. Or just way off.
Anyway... What causes birds to not grow?

Side note/question...
How do you get kids to NOT get attached to animals you hope to sell or eat? I have one child in particular that's cried and cried with every one that didn't make it and some of the ones we've sold. We planned on selling animals to begin with... and eating some... and, sometimes birds don't make it. Maybe as she gets older it will just be something she gets used to? I actually love how caring she is... I just wish she didn't get SO attached SO quickly even when we know we're going to sell or eat them. They sometimes name them before they're out of the incubator. HA

 

[Northwest_Wannabe]

I've named birds straight out of the incubator! I've actually named a few eggs haha, losing a bird doesn't get easier, in my opinion it shouldn't, it's hard but I see it as a deep respect to their life, even if it is a tiny short quail life : ) Not that one should freak out every time, it should be something sad but not life destroying, make sure she knows it's just part of life, some fail to thrive and even with our best intervening, mother nature gets final pick of it all..

For raising of birds you're going to sell or eat I would at least personally try to limit your contact with them (or the kid's) so they don't have as much of an opportunity to get attached if possible? I personally still like to love on the babies who'll grow up to be sold or eaten, but it helps when you don't have to eat a bird with a name whose face you've grown up looking at if you ask me :') I usually try to limit contact with those destined for someone else's farm or the fryer once they're out of the brooder, just to try to not get too connected if I can.

 

[millipede]

the runt quail passed away today. We knew it was coming.
But, I'd still like to have some ideas as to why. There's been a few batches where we've had one bird that just didn't seem to grow with the rest of them. Each time, that bird dies. Is it genetic? An illness? a physical situation?
If there's some way we can help them if we notice this sort of thing, we'd love to try if/when it happens again.