chick growth/body mass question

[swoop]

hi all

i have a question...
my chicks are now 2.5 wks old - they have at least doubled in size - eat blue seal medicated chick starter non-stop - have constant supply of fresh water which they drink - they are very active and pretend to fly

- my question, when i pick them up their breast bones are reeeaally prominent, more than what i am used to feeling with pet birds that i have handled - i never let their food run out - is this just a part of their body mass having to catch up with the rest of their rapid growth - or are they (scrawny!?!

) not getting enough of something?

 

[debilorrah]

I believe that is the case. My BO's were really substantial in body mass so I was used to that, then I got the EE chicks and they have pokey breast bones too. And now they are fine, except for the fact that they have become known as the Wussies.

 

[fargosmom]

I was noticing the same thing with our new chicks (about 4 weeks old now). I think it's that their bodies are using all available nutrition to produce feathers and grow bones, so not much is going to the "padding". I suspect that they'll fill out once the infrastructure is in place. Anyone want to chime in - am I on the right track?

 

[silkiechicken]

The keels on chickens not bred for meat are rather "pointy" so to say. a "V" shape is normal. a "Y" shape is something to worry about. I found my parakeets to have rounder breasts than the layer type birds. Don't expect anything like a meat bird from the store type of body. As long as you can't feel the sides of the keel, they are probably fine. Like the above poster mentioned, they got a while to go before they start filing out. Just wait till their scrawny and gangly teen weeks!

 

[swoop]

thanks for the reassuring info!