Failure to thrive

[KalahariFerrari]

I should also mention that these chicks are the first I'm getting from this flock, they were a gift from my neighbour and they are such a mixed lot, I wouldn't be able to get them to guess as to what they've had in there in the past!

 

[ackie]

When he was with his hatch-mates, was he able to eat his fill? I'm wondering if he was small to start and then boxed out of the food consistently by the bigger ones so he didnt grow?

 

[KalahariFerrari]

When he was with his hatch-mates, was he able to eat his fill? I'm wondering if he was small to start and then boxed out of the food consistently by the bigger ones so he didnt grow?

Yes, I made sure he ate. He was first to the food nearly every time and they didn't bully him at all (yet), so it is strange for sure!

 

[CNJ]

I think its a boy.....................If he gets along with the original batch, I would leave him with them.............

 

[EmmaRainboe]

I had a similar experience. I had a chick who would not eat, anything. Till one day she decided to eat, then she grew rapidly. At first she grew feathers then once she got her wings she stopped. When she grew rapidly she only got to half the size she was supposed to be but before that, she was only 1/6 of the size. I fed her plain yogurt, egg, and anything I could get her to eat, mixed with her food, but she just wouldn't eat. One day she decied she was going to. She grew to be five months old, but then injured her hip and leg and had to be put down, as recommended by the vet. I missh her so much, and hope your little guy has a happier ending. Here she is at 2-3 months old.

 

[KalahariFerrari]

I think its a boy.....................If he gets along with the original batch, I would leave him with them.............

Why do you think it's a boy, if I may ask? He's teaching the new chicks how to chick for a couple of days. Giving him a chance to catch up on food too if he needs it!

 

[KalahariFerrari]

I had a similar experience. I had a chick who would not eat, anything. Till one day she decided to eat, then she grew rapidly. At first she grew feathers then once she got her wings she stopped. When she grew rapidly she only got to half the size she was supposed to be but before that, she was only 1/6 of the size. I fed her plain yogurt, egg, and anything I could get her to eat, mixed with her food, but she just wouldn't eat. One day she decied she was going to. She grew to be five months old, but then injured her hip and leg and had to be put down, as recommended by the vet. I missh her so much, and hope your little guy has a happier ending. Here she is at 2-3 months old.View attachment 2425152

I'm so sorry you lost her! Excellent job on care though, you did everything and then some. I'm giving this little guy every chance I can, I'm hopeful since he looks so healthy and seems to develop just as well as the others, just not size!

 

[CNJ]

Why do you think it's a boy, if I may ask? He's teaching the new chicks how to chick for a couple of days. Giving him a chance to catch up on food too if he needs it!

Feather sexing: https://www.bressefarms.com/videos--feather-sex-chicks.html

 

[NatJ]

Feather sexing

Doesn't work on most chickens.

There is a sex-linked gene that controls fast or slow feathering.

If you have a slow feathering female, and a fast feathering male, and you cross them, then you get slow feathering sons and fast feathering daughters. (Notice that traits appear to switch gender when breeding sexlinks. Trying to feather-sex the parents would not have worked at all.)

And that site you gave a link to: they tell how to do it, but they don't trust it enough to use it on the chicks they sell! (They sell some of their started birds as male or female, and they sell autosexing Cream Legbars as male or female, but all their other chicks are sold as straight run.)

 

[EmmaRainboe]

I'm so sorry you lost her! Excellent job on care though, you did everything and then some. I'm giving this little guy every chance I can, I'm hopeful since he looks so healthy and seems to develop just as well as the others, just not size!

Thank you! I hope he does okay, even if he’s smaller than the rest!