If anyone has experience with this, I'd love some advice.
I bought 2 Dutch Bantam pullets on July 29th, and was told they were right at a month old. I got them from a Mennonite farm where I'd previously gotten my Easter Eggers the year before, and they were hand raised by one of the teenagers there as his personal flock. They were identical to the point that I got colored zip ties and leg banded them to tell them apart. They're super sweet and seemed to be in good health then and still do now. But one is not developing as she should, and has me worried. I don't know if dwarfism is a thing in bantams, or if there may be something else causing her to fail to grow properly. I'm worried about her and it wouldn't surprise me if she has a genetic defect of some kind, but so far she just keeps chickening on like it's just the way she is.
The smaller one (Lex) has always been more cuddly and 'melts' in your hand as soon as you pick her up. She'll peep when she sees me and run over, demanding to be picked up or she'll peck my feet until I do. Then she wants to be puffed up asleep in my hand or snuggling on shoulder. If you are holding her, she immediately goes into nap mode. So her looking puffy and sleepy is normal, for her. (I know that it's not normal for chickens in general, but I'm saying it's not a behavioral change.) But she eats, drinks, dust bathes, and chickens just fine normally, to the point of stealing grapes and treats away from my 7 pound Easter Eggers.
Ellie, the larger one, is looking like a proper 3-4 month old. She's got the Bantam posture, her comb looks like it's going to come in soon, she is starting to make more grown-up chicken sounds instead of peeping. Together, someone would think that Lex is a month younger, but I know they were hatched at the same time and are the same age. I weighed them today and Ellie is 14.5 ounces, while little Lex is 6.8 ounces. I'll be adding pics below, with Lex in the lime band and Ellie in the pink band.
I bought 2 Dutch Bantam pullets on July 29th, and was told they were right at a month old. I got them from a Mennonite farm where I'd previously gotten my Easter Eggers the year before, and they were hand raised by one of the teenagers there as his personal flock. They were identical to the point that I got colored zip ties and leg banded them to tell them apart. They're super sweet and seemed to be in good health then and still do now. But one is not developing as she should, and has me worried. I don't know if dwarfism is a thing in bantams, or if there may be something else causing her to fail to grow properly. I'm worried about her and it wouldn't surprise me if she has a genetic defect of some kind, but so far she just keeps chickening on like it's just the way she is.
The smaller one (Lex) has always been more cuddly and 'melts' in your hand as soon as you pick her up. She'll peep when she sees me and run over, demanding to be picked up or she'll peck my feet until I do. Then she wants to be puffed up asleep in my hand or snuggling on shoulder. If you are holding her, she immediately goes into nap mode. So her looking puffy and sleepy is normal, for her. (I know that it's not normal for chickens in general, but I'm saying it's not a behavioral change.) But she eats, drinks, dust bathes, and chickens just fine normally, to the point of stealing grapes and treats away from my 7 pound Easter Eggers.
Ellie, the larger one, is looking like a proper 3-4 month old. She's got the Bantam posture, her comb looks like it's going to come in soon, she is starting to make more grown-up chicken sounds instead of peeping. Together, someone would think that Lex is a month younger, but I know they were hatched at the same time and are the same age. I weighed them today and Ellie is 14.5 ounces, while little Lex is 6.8 ounces. I'll be adding pics below, with Lex in the lime band and Ellie in the pink band.
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