chicks look too small for their age

[suenotto]

I got some chicks from a friend yesterday. The chicks are bantam D'anvers and they are just about 6 weeks old. I raised day old chicks this past spring and I recall we were just about ready to put the birds outside at 6 weeks. These chicks are still very small and don't look nearly ready to move outside! I didn't ask what he was feeding them, he was letting the mother raise them. I noticed a few of his adult birds had scaly leg mites and some were missing feathers, so there could be some other parasites going on there.

I gave them some scrambled eggs and have them on unmedicated chick starter. I added some electrolytes to their water but I don't seem them drinking it too much. It gets dirty pretty quick so I just end up dumping that maybe 2-3 times a day.

Your thoughts? Should I worm them? sprinkle them with some sevin dust?

They are pooping normally and are peeping and fairly active.

Thanks for your help.

 

[suenotto]

I also want to mention that they (their feathers) look a little scruffy overall.

 

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

Are they completely feathered out? What are the highs and lows in your area?

 

[suenotto]

I'll take a picture tomorrow, my answer is no, they are not featherd out and it gets below freezing outside in eastern PA

 

[stevetone]

How small is small? If you do not have experience with bantam chicks, you may be surprised as to their size.

Pictures would help, perhaps next to a ruler or something that we can compare their size with?

Since they are acting pretty normal from your description, I would hold off on any potent wormer until they are older and a need is established.

 

[stevetone]

At six weeks old all the bantam and large fowl chicks I've raised look scruffy. I call it their "teenage" stage.

 

[sumi]

Bantam chicks can look very very small if you are used to raising standard size chickens, yes.
Chicks can look "scruffy" from a mite/lice infestation. I think dusting for mites and deworming them would be a good idea, they are old enough to be dewormed now. Keep them under heat, at least during the evenings and nights and keep them separate from your other chickens for at least a month, just to make sure they don't spread any pests/disease. Scrambled eggs and a vitamin+electrolite booster would help them if they do carry a pest, so keep doing that.

 

[suenotto]

 

[suenotto]

We raised standard and bantam chicks this past spring. We moved all of them outside at the same time, which I believe was at 6 weeks. They didn't seem too small or fragile for the move outside, but these chicks do not look hardy enough at this age.

 

[stevetone]

From those pictures I would say everything is normal. That's the size I would expect, and they are feathered out enough for their age. Not too scruffy either!

I would not hesitate to place them outdoors in a draft-free coop.

Edit: Just wanted to point out that bantams come in different sizes, too. Perhaps your previous experience with bantams were with a "larger" breed.