Help.... Runt? Dwarfism? Failure to Thrive?

[schrephouse]

Glad to hear you were watching at the right time!

Me too! I rarely take my eyes or ears off them when they are getting time outdoors. This temp enclosure is not preditor proof so I can move it easily. As they get older the length of time outside increases until we move them to the big girl run. I didn't expect a hawk though. After this I am going to make some changes. I started building a chick tractor, completely enclosed, with a wood base. Need to add a door and wheels.

 

[schrephouse]

This weekend I'm moving the girls down to a larger brooder and run in the big girl area. They are almost 7 weeks. Midge is still such a little thing, I hope she does well. Attaching photo of her today and a cute peekaboo video of her sisters today.

https://www.facebook.com/1219293126/posts/10229116360233178

 

[schrephouse]

UPDATE: I could use more advice if anyone is still following. We are beginning to worry about Midges future. She is not able to be as active or as easily mobile as her sisters. She is not successful at perching or any competition of space. No one is bullying her at all. She walks fine but it's more of a wobble or waddle. Climbing anything is a effort even small jumps. We put a low bar and cat crate for her to get on and she struggles to use the bar or get on the crate. How can we make her living environment better to coexist with flockmates? I still question if she is bantam or has dwarfism. Any additional perspective on that would be appreciated. My husband thinks she may not live to adulthood because it takes her effort to do normal everyday things. She is so cute, sweet and bright-eyed. She shows no sign of diminishing health other than less ability to jump up on things and avoids being in the middle of active flockmates.

 

[alinas2010]

Do you think she will do okay if you just made adapted things for her, giving her a special pen that only she can get into with special low feeder and water separate from the rest of the flock or something like that? Maybe she could even be a little bit of a house chicken?

 

[schrephouse]

Do you think she will do okay if you just made adapted things for her, giving her a special pen that only she can get into with special low feeder and water separate from the rest of the flock or something like that? Maybe she could even be a little bit of a house chicken?

I'm trying to wrap my head around ways to make her life easier and more, without completely separating her. My husband said lastnight "What can we do with her, let her live in the house...No she can't live in the house". We have feed and water she can get to. She goes when others are occupied and eats. We have a small brooder hutch and run that we usually reserve for broody hens and chicks. We could allocate it as her living space but alone?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Here's my Dwarf Malay pullet Big Fatty. She's 3 months old.

 

[schrephouse]

Here's my Dwarf Malay pullet Big Fatty. She's 3 months old.
View attachment 3260120

I love it! Thank you for sharing. She is beautiful. Our little Midge seems sooo much smaller than your girl. I will try to get another photo of me holding her and post it.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I love it! Thank you for sharing. She is beautiful. Our little Midge seems sooo much smaller than your girl. I will try to get another photo of me holding her and post it.

Thanks.

You're welcome. Sounds good, updates are always nice.

Here's Big Fatty at a 2 weeks of age. She was the biggest in the brooder.

 

[3KillerBs]

Is she physically deformed or just small?

I have an article about Slowpoke, my deformed cockerel, here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/slowpoke-a-reality-check-after-an-assisted-hatch.77702/

I butchered him yesterday and took carcass photos but haven't updated the article yet. With his feathers off it was clear that he was so severely malformed that if he had been a female he'd have died trying to lay the first egg because there was only a 2-finger-wide space between his pelvis and his breastbone. No room for an egg to pass.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Is she physically deformed or just small?

I have an article about Slowpoke, my deformed cockerel, here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/slowpoke-a-reality-check-after-an-assisted-hatch.77702/

I butchered him yesterday and took carcass photos but haven't updated the article yet. With his feathers off it was clear that he was so severely malformed that if he had been a female he'd have died trying to lay the first egg because there was only a 2-finger-wide space between his pelvis and his breastbone. No room for an egg to pass.

No deformities. Everything checks out structurally with her.