Chick not growing or feathering out....

[BusyBearMama]

She looks like a buff brahma to me. She's about 1/3 the size I would expect at this point based on your photos. Genetics are interesting and I wouldn't say dwarfism as it isn't really how it presents in birds quite like this but a defect definitely. It might be ok if it's already made it a month. But it might not live long/ever be too normal. I will be interested to see how things go, do let us know.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Interesting.

I agree with everyone else, most likely a genetic/developmental disorder.

Wondering if the warm weather/heat that we are experiencing will affect her since she isn't feathering out, I would watch for overheating/heat stroke and possibly even sun burn?

As long as she's eating, drinking, pooping and being a happy girl enjoy her, she's a cutie.

 

[AuntNomi]

Yes I have been concerned about the heat/sun. When I pick her up for any reason I have always noticed how very warm her body feels. We have brought her in the house a few times. But she doesn't ever get in the sun because I worry about sunburn, so I've yet to let her out to free range. She stays in the coop since it has a roof over the entire thing. I have noticed her a few times walk through the water bowl, or just stand in it a few seconds. At this point the heat is my biggest concern. Shes a sweet chick and plays and runs around like the rest for the time being.

 

[BusyBearMama]

Wondering if your chick has improved, I have let's say 3? Very small month olds myself now, they're a mixed breed and these guys are just runty, not many feathers, not growing much, I started thinking about your post and thought at some point I might send you a pic of them, and I was wondering how your bird is, I was really noticing yesterday when I moved them to grow out pens from the brooder, what little runty guys they were. I put them in with the young pullets for safe keeping but I think they're maybe boys? Has your chick made it?

 

[CluckerCottage]

Out of my spring babies, I have 2 runts. One is a Dixie rainbow named Sandy. She arrived with 3 others and they are all just huge at 13 weeks. Sandy is 1/4 their size. She keeps up with the others and is eating, drinking and pooping fine. They are outside in a shaded grass run all day and locked up tite at night.
The other runt is a BSL named Vulture. The other 3 BSL's are big bold and beautiful but Vulture is still small. Not as small as the Dixie but there is a marked difference. She also keeps up with everyone and has lots of energy.
I love them both and hope they catch up with their flockmates.

 

[BusyBearMama]

G

Out of my spring babies, I have 2 runts. One is a Dixie rainbow named Sandy. She arrived with 3 others and they are all just huge at 13 weeks. Sandy is 1/4 their size. She keeps up with the others and is eating, drinking and pooping fine. They are outside in a shaded grass run all day and locked up tite at night.
The other runt is a BSL named Vulture. The other 3 BSL's are big bold and beautiful but Vulture is still small. Not as small as the Dixie but there is a marked difference. She also keeps up with everyone and has lots of energy.
I love them both and hope they catch up with their flockmates.

good luck with them. Runts have in the past in my flock gone either way, I believe I posted previously about a Keet that never grew at all that was the saddest but I should show you our littlest runt, I think the other 2 will catch up but this guy is like you said 1/4 of the size. I thought he would grow, even added some high protine feed to his feeder but still just so little, I put the 3 little ones and two pullets I haven't decided what to do with yet in with my keepers. Seems completely fine accept so tiny. I always wonder what's wrong that makes them so tiny. But our goal is to hatch about 100 here this year so we were bound to get a tiny guy. Cute though. We will probably end up keeping it around at least until we know girl or boy. Good luck to you!

 

[AuntNomi]

Here is a picture of ours, Her name is Earhardt, my son named her. She may have grown a little, of course it is so hard for us to tell as we look at her everyday, but I don't think she has much. She eats, drinks, plays, poops just like the rest of them. Of ourse they are all feathered out so I do not really know how big their bodies are with out all the feathers either. But she is tiny. She is about 9 weeks now, and we had chicks hatch out about 2 weeks ago and they are almost her size now, so won't be long they will be bigger then her.
I would love to see the pictures of yalls little ones if you can get them uploaded. Thanks

 

[JanetMarie]

Could be round worms. I had a slow growing chick recently that had them. Even though all the chicks are together, the worms effected him more than the others. You could consider taking a fecal sample to a veterinarian to rule that out.

Nine years ago we had a runt chick. She grew very slowly, but did catch up with the others eventually. She outlived all of her flock mates, remained healthy, and died this spring.

 

[BusyBearMama]

That's very interesting. I don't know how they would get worms. I hatched them here from clean eggs from here and they've never left the house... It's weird. This chick hatched just fine on it's own I believe, seems 1/100 is just runty around here if we wanted to work out some stats. We have one hen as well that was so tiny. We call her tiny. She is still small but fine. This is like slower feathering as well though, it does interest me we were all discussing this and it's likely not overly uncommon :-/

 

[mustang56]

If she's eating good and active.... I'd try not to worry about it to much.
We had a chick that did that.... it took almost 4 months... but the feathers actually did grow in...!
She was a runt also.... but is now about 5 years old and very healthy.. =)