Chicken not gaining weight

catlikethief

In the Brooder
11 Years
May 13, 2008
80
0
39
Portland OR
Hi everyone!

My favorite pullet, Little Miss Sunshine (RIR mix) has some issues. Few weeks ago I posted on how I thought she broke/sprained her leg. An update to that: She's almost at 110%. Seriously, I gave her some warm baths in Epsom salt and some herbs and homeopathics and my husband and I sent her on her way back outside. Around day two she seemed to be back on track. BTW- she loves, loves, loves sitting in the sun. She could do it for hours on end!

Okay, back on track. She isn't gaining weight. She's been the same size since we bought her and her sisters almost a month ago. Her sisters have fattened up a bit and feel like they have meat on their bones, but she's just so skinny. They are approx. 5-6 months old. In the time we've had them, they've been treated fort cocci and well she's had the leg issue. Nothing else, no mites and they free range 2+ hours a day.

I see her eating and drinking just not as much as the others. Her poop is fine she has no other health problems that I know of, other then her healing leg. NOTE: we noticed the slow weight gain before she got hurt and before the cocci treatment. I just figured once those issues were resolved she would gain weight.

Her crop is never full feeling nor does it feel like it's got stuff stuck in it. She's spoiled food wise. Gets to eat developer when ever she wants plus I make them warm oatmeal on cold mornings and give scraps at night time from dinner.

Can you guys think of anything I am missing. Should I just wait this out, maybe she really is younger then her sisters? She came from a large farm 100+ chickens running around, so it is possible.

Could it be worms or another parasite? I've checked and I've seen nothing noticeable in her poop.

Little Miss Sunshine is the one on the far left. This picture really does no justice for showing the size difference, sorry!
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She's not low on the pecking order. We've just recently, successfully added two 7wk old pullets to the outside coop. Their arrival was very lukewarm, but everyone is accepting each other now. And they all eat with no problems. The girls don't fight much and she's happy by herself sitting in the sun and her sisters always join her for a good nap in the middle of the yard.

I'm interested to know, if I don't see worms in her poop does that rule worms out generally?

And no, I haven't wormed them. Can you suggest a good de-wormer?
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