dwarf marans

[deltasmom]

I hatched some french black marans 5 months ago. One of the females is only about 1/4 the size of the others. She was normal size at hatch and for the first several weeks. She seems healthy just super small. What is going on? Are there dwarf marans? I've never had this happen before so I am puzzled.

 

[AustralorpsAU]

I hatched some french black marans 5 months ago. One of the females is only about 1/4 the size of the others. She was normal size at hatch and for the first several weeks. She seems healthy just super small. What is going on? Are there dwarf marans? I've never had this happen before so I am puzzled.

She could be a bantam maran! Dwarf = bantam

 

[deltasmom]

Her parents and all other hatch mates are normal size.

 

[AustralorpsAU]

Her parents and all other hatch mates are normal size.

Oh. Is she getting nourished? Do the other chicks let her eat and drink?

 

[deltasmom]

Yes - she eats and drinks well. She is not picked on by the others at all.

 

[ShellyBear]

Unless you really wanted pure maran I think as long as it is healthy you should just watch it and see how It grows.

 

[Kev]

Any pictures?

I have heard of dwarfism showing up in marans before. If I recall correctly, they also had short legs or something else off about them too.. is that how your bird looks?

It appeared to be something recessive as it would pop out of normal parents. If you want to test and see if it's genetic, breed her with the father. Assuming it is a single and recessive gene then half of the offspring would be dwarfed and the other normal.

 

[deltasmom]

This is a photo of her standing between her brother and


sisters that hatched in the same hatch with her.


Please ignore this ramshackle pen - had to get her out of good pen because I was afraid she would get trampled! She gets a brand new pen this weekend. For now she must be content with yucky pen just to save her life.

 

[gmatson]

I would think she was a case of failure to thrive but if she eats well and drinks, I am not sure what is going on. I hope she does well. Maybe you could get her some bantum friends.

 

[Kev]

I agree, doesn't look like a "normal" dwarfing going on with that one. It looks more like a much younger chick due to feathering- pictures makes it look like it still has some chick down attached plus still has chick feathers? The others have already long molted out to their adult shiny and harder feathers while this one seems to be only just now starting to grow some on the wing/back area..

Might be one of those vague failure to thrive things..