Chicks Growing at Different Rates?

[Chickenbiceps]

Hey All,

So I've got my 4 chicks: 1 RIR, 1 Dominique, 1 Australorp and 1 Wyandotte. The RIR and Dom seem to be growing exponentially larger than the Aus and Wyandotte. Are Australorp and Wyandotte just a smaller bird or is something going on? I've watched them eat, and they all seem to eat well, but my RIR is now twice the size of my Wyandotte. Any help or advice is always welcome.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Sometimes there are just runt chicks. Often times, they grow up to be perfectly normal, healthy birds. Other times, they have something internally wrong, and eventually die. As long as the Wyandotte is acting normal and eating well, she's probably fine. Chicks do grow at different rates. In my experience, Wyandottes grow and feather very slowly.

 

[LTygress]

Did you buy pullets or straight run?

I noticed a similar issue with two silkies that I hatched out. No breed difference, and no egg size difference. They were both supposed to be white bantam silkies. And when they hatched, they were both the same size. But one grew much faster and larger than the other.

Turns out the larger one is a roo, and the smaller one is a hen.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

ChickenArms-
Just how old are these so-called chicks? My mixed RIR/EE grow at the same rate until they're about 2 months old then their rates vary acording to sex and breed. Maybe your large ones are roosters. In my experience Dominecks seem to be a fast growing bird anyway.
Funny thing, this summer I had a pen full of RIR/Easter Eggers and an adjoining pen had bantys. The bantys were a week younger and of course were smaller. By the end of the next week the younger bantys were the same size as the older RIR/EE. Then for the next 2 months the bantys grew noticably bigger than the RIR/EE. By month 3-4 the bantys seemed to do all they were going to do and the RIR/EE caught up with them and continued to outgrow them.

 

[Chickenbiceps]

Had to go back to retrace exact date I purchased them: Oct 5. The Dominique, Wyandotte and Austalorp were all the same age, at most 1 week old. The feed store gets their shipments in on Thursdays, so a good assumption they would be possibly 3-5 days old if the feed-store gets them upon hatching. That's only an assumption mind you because I truly do not know at what stage/age they get their livestock. The RIR was in a separate brooder which the guy said was 1 week older. So then, the three are 2 1/2 weeks old and the RIR is 3 1/2 weeks old give or take a day.

As far as male/female, the feed store had them all separated male/female which they guarantee a 95% accuracy rating on. I purchased from the female side of course, so not straight run. I admit I am new to owning chickens, and so cannot tell as of yet if any are in fact male. I hope not, ha not be sexist, but I hope not.

 

[Peplers chicks]

I saw the same thing happened, but once the smaller one start to pick up speed, she could not be stopped, she reach total growth, and about the Australorp, they are usually big birds

 

[ChickenLegs13]

...... and so cannot tell as of yet if any are in fact male. I hope not, ha not be sexist, but I hope not.

I am sexist and I prefer old hens. Both feathered and non feathered types.

 

[LTygress]

Then it's probably a combination of age difference, and breed difference. Obviously, I bought my hatching eggs "straight run" because you can't get them any other way, lol! And same breed, same color, same "size" (bantam) meant something was up with mine!

But yours seems like just a simple case of the differences in breeds.

 

[Tytyvyllus]

Last week, I picked up three little day old chicks, one rir and two Welsummers. The Welsummers both look two weeks old while the rir still looks wee like a three day old chick.

 

[lisamg11]

I have a new hamshire red and a black austrolop that waddles and combs are not developing like the rest of my hens. They are about 22 weeks old and still have small light pink while the other hens have large red combs and waddles. Any advice? Is this normal.