I'm writing because I am concerned about Runty, one of four chicks I adopted from an unfortunate situation. I now have three chicks/pullets total.
Bird:
Bird:
- Runty is an 8-week-old silkie who is about half the size of the other two chicks.
- I think she is growing, but it's hard to say because she's growing so slowly and the others are so much bigger. She is definitely smaller and thinner that the other two.
- Runty is eating, drinking and pooping. She runs to new food and treats in the brooder and eats enthusiastically, and yet she is otherwise lethargic.
- She often closes her eyes without really sleeping. She doesn't explore like her sisters, and she definitely doesn't have their energy. Instead, she quickly returns to her heated box after eating.
- Though I have seen her poop and drink, she does so less frequently that the others.
- She cheeps quite a lot, and it's a more constant and harsh chirp that the other two, who make trilling noises in addition to the occasional chirp. I've watched her closely to see if she is hot or cold, and I adjust the temperature of the heating pad and a separate heating stand accordingly. It seems to help her a bit but not much.
- She often tries to hide or warm herself under her sisters, who tend to move away from her.
- While I am likely anthropomorphizing chicken behavior, it also seems like the others bully Runty by pushing her out of the way and landing on top of her as they try out their new feathers.
- When I have tried to separate her previously, she was very upset and didn't stop chirping until I'd put her back with her sisters.
- As her name suggests, I noticed she was the smallest right away. One chick who passed away was only slightly larger than Runty, but now it's really obvious how small Runty is next to the other two, who look like pullets.
- It's been about 10 days since I first noticed Runty's above behaviors. I've become more concerned the last 5 days or so as she didn't shake it off.
- The other two birds do not exhibit any of the same symptoms/behaviors and instead are quite active, curious and speedy.
- None that I can see. Runty is sometimes a little unsteady on her feet, but then she'll shoot out of the brooder like a bowling ball when I least expect it. (It's been a few days since she's done that though.)
- As background, I am a brand new chicken mama who took in chicks from a neighbor who posted on Nextdoor saying she was allergic and in need of a good home for 6 four-week-old chicks. (It seemed legitimate until I found out she'd started with 8, lost 3 before my official adoption day, and had a very sad and unhappy chick when I went to pick them up. I sadly had to euthanize the sick one the same evening, and lost one more chick, Mirabelle, about two weeks later (found her dead).)
- When I picked up the sick chick (who was ultimately euthanized) I was initially very concerned about Marek's or another contagious disease, but I cleaned like crazy, built a new brooder, got them new food, treated them for cocci with corrid, and kept a very close eye on them.
- Everything seemed better for 2 weeks. I was hopeful for a while but now I am concerned about the sudden death of Mirabelle and Runty's seeming failure to thrive.
- When I got the chicks from the neighbor they came with a bag of unmarked chicken feed from the feed store. I quickly replaced it with Manna Pro Chick Starter and am now introducing Scratch and Peck Feeds Organic Grower, mixing it in along with the Chick Starter.
- I'm providing chick grit as well as grower grit since I have read they're on the cusp of needing larger grit, age wise.
- Treats: I fed them scrambled eggs every 1-2 days for the first couple of weeks. I now give them grubs as treats along with the occasional sprig of rosemary or piece of kale from the garden.
- Runty is drinking, but not as much as the others. Today I used a syringe to give her some drops of water (with corrid).
- It's hard for me to say if Runty's poop is normal since I am so new to this. Today her poop seemed solid and faintly green. Nothing runny or startling.
- She does not have a pasty butt. (I check at least once every day.)
- I haven't seen the culprit, but there is evidence in the brooder that one of the chicks has runnier and much darker poop, which is why I have continued corrid.
- The initial owner said she had been treating them for cocci. I continued the corrid treatment for 5 days when I got them, since so many others had died.
- I treated them with corrid again last week when I saw some diarrhea in the brooder.
- They've had fresh water only for the last few days, but given Runty's condition I added corrid again today.
- They're in a homemade brooder built from wood scraps and hardware cloth. They're still inside while we finish the coop. It's a large brooder so I put down grippy shelf liner to prevent them slipping and paper towels for easy clean up. They have a scratching box with sand, too. They have a box under a heating pad for heat.
