Chick half the size of others

[Xotomi]

I sometimes get one chick that ends up developmentally behind in a hatch with chicks purchased from different breeders. I don't believe all adult hens in my current adult flock have ever actually laid an egg, and have an issue with one consistently laying an egg with a very weak shell or having no shell ruining the nest daily. Out of 20 birds I get 7-10 eggs daily. I am very unhappy with this one breeder, and am in need of starting with fresh genetics. My Road Island Red hens flap their wings and fight one another like roosters, while my rooster tore the neck flesh right off of my favorite most docile Buff Orpington hen. The most meanest batch of birds I ever had.

I currently have week old Leghorns and one is only half the size of the rest. From day one her wings have stretched past her rearend. My experience has been the chick that starts out in the beginning physically developmentally behind ends up with some congenital defect that either kills them within the first few weeks or they evolve to just never properly lay eggs. Am I correct? Or has anyone had success and she might surprise me and be productive over time? My flock is kept for dual purpose, not as pets. I have plenty of meat birds, but prefer she lay.

 

[AquaDuck]

I sometimes get one chick that ends up developmentally behind in a hatch with chicks purchased from different breeders. I don't believe all adult hens in my current adult flock have ever actually laid an egg, and have an issue with one consistently laying an egg with a very weak shell or having no shell ruining the nest daily. Out of 20 birds I get 7-10 eggs daily. I am very unhappy with this one breeder, and am in need of starting with fresh genetics. My Road Island Red hens flap their wings and fight one another like roosters, while my rooster tore the neck flesh right off of my favorite most docile Buff Orpington hen. The most meanest batch of birds I ever had.

I currently have week old Leghorns and one is only half the size of the rest. From day one her wings have stretched past her rearend. My experience has been the chick that starts out in the beginning physically developmentally behind ends up with some congenital defect that either kills them within the first few weeks or they evolve to just never properly lay eggs. Am I correct? Or has anyone had success and she might surprise me and be productive over time? My flock is kept for dual purpose, not as pets. I have plenty of meat birds, but prefer she lay.

Interesting thought and conclusion. I haven't had enough runts to notice the same, but I can imagine that a chick starting out sickly can end up not laying eggs. I had a few duckling runts, a female that turned out just fine, and a drake who got stunted growth but otherwise healthy.

As for breeders, yeah, there are definitely some bad ones out there. Had to put down an entire batch of Faverolles chicks this year because of health problems from what I assume was inbreeding/bad breeding...
Definitely sound like those RIR's of yours need to be changed out. Mean birds are no fun

 

[Xotomi]

Interesting thought and conclusion. I haven't had enough runts to notice the same, but I can imagine that a chick starting out sickly can end up not laying eggs. I had a few duckling runts, a female that turned out just fine, and a drake who got stunted growth but otherwise healthy.

As for breeders, yeah, there are definitely some bad ones out there. Had to put down an entire batch of Faverolles chicks this year because of health problems from what I assume was inbreeding/bad breeding...
Definitely sound like those RIR's of yours need to be changed out. Mean birds are no fun

One of my runts that was developmentally behind from the start has a comb that never even came in beyond tiny little stubs. The only one after a year already. She is clean as a whistle every day and always standing off alone and just mean as can be to the rest of the flock. She sits in the nest and never lays! I have had to toss her out at nighttime as a lost cause. I sure am not getting the best of the best from that one breeder!