Experience with runting syndrome

[turkenlurken]

Hi-

I have been raising chickens for years but have come across a "runt" for the first time. I ordered chicks with another person from McMurray Hathchery--hatch date was late on 5/31. chicks arrived fine and I kept them alll for the first few day. Other person's chicks seemed to be doing okay until she asked me to come check a small chick who the others seemed to be picking on. I immediately brought the little one home as she was so small, weak, and dehydrated (4 weeks old at this time). She is a black australorp and was 1/2 the size of the other 2 of the same breed. Got electolyte solution in her and she perked up and started peeping loudly as she was alone. Put her in with my girls (only 6) and she started eating and drinking when they did. Had a very hunched posture for about a week.
Today she is acting like a normal chicken--eating, drinking, scratching, worm catching, etc. My girls have accepted her and she walks under them to eat or steal their treats. She bonded with my partridge cochin immediatley and was trying to get her to sit on her which was hysterical--poor Poofy would do it too.

Does anyone have any experience with runting syndrome and her life expectancy? She does not have helicopter feathers but has some white feathers in with the black. She is filling out with feathers and is a little bigger but she is out of proportion--head looks too small for the body and legs are too short so she waddles like a duck. I don't expect her to get very big or lay eggs but figured she will just hang out with the others. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.











Here are some pics for comparison.

 

[sumi]

I had a severe case, who only lived 5 months, in which time she grew to 1/4 of her sibling's size. Your chick looks good in comparison with mine! She should catch up with some special care. Give her, in addition to her regular feed, some high protein snacks, like mealworms, scrambled eggs, cooked meat (non salted or spiced), a little dried cat food and give her a vitamin+mineral supplement in her drink water as well. Make sure she drinks of that at least once or twice a day. Good luck with her!

 

[turkenlurken]

Thanks. I will try the meal worms and extra protein treats. She is a worm addict and steals them from everyone. She drinks a lot which is great. I think she spent her first 2 days here drinking more then eating. She does look like a little duck. The boys have named her Yoda. Sorry yours passed so quickly. I am assuming.g she may have a pretty short lifespan too.

 

[sumi]

I have heard of runts responding well to the high protein and supplement treatment. I unfortunately didn't know about it when I had Joy... She did have a really strange hatch experience, by a non-broody broody. Her mom sat on and off for more than a month before Joy popped out of what I assumed was a rotten egg. I didn't expect her to survive, but she did. For 5 wonderful months

. I suspect the drawn out incubation period was to blame for her growth problems. She did fine otherwise, then suddenly had a series of strokes over a few days before passing.

Your baby is looking much better than Joy did at that stage (age) and I think with some help she can and will catch up. Keep me posted?

 

[turkenlurken]

Will do. She is doing surprisingly well and the others have become protective of her. They will steal worms from each other but not her. Too funny. Thanks for the info