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

[schrephouse]

It was probably around week 10 she was starting to catch up. Still was the smallest and a lot less feathered out than the others but she just recently surpassed the others in size. Chickens are strange. I really hope your girl works her way to a strong big chicken!

Thank you for replying. I'm so hopeful now. Our little girl is feathering out about the same, maybe a bit slower around the neck area. Our trick is making sure she has plenty of time to eat. She isn't perching like the others, to little and short legs. But its warm here and someone always snuggles up by her. She is so darn cute. One of the others kinda acts like a mother hen with her. It's funny. Probably just a coincidence.

 

[Tonyroo]

Here's a picture of the hermaphrodite in the front of the picture. His normal sized brother is in the back. Look at the wing color of both. The middle one is a normal size pullet.

 

[schrephouse]

Here's a picture of the hermaphrodite in the front of the picture. His normal sized brother is in the back. Look at the wing color of both. The middle one is a normal size pullet.View attachment 3214203

Wow, pretty birds you got there. Wonder what you will end up with in this chicken. But really gorgeous bird.

 

[Tonyroo]

I have breeder stock for Swedish flower hen breed. All my chickens are not from hatcheries.

 

[Paz]

Here's a picture of the hermaphrodite in the front of the picture. His normal sized brother is in the back. Look at the wing color of both. The middle one is a normal size pullet.View attachment 3214203

That looks like my hen/cock. It’s over four months old and I still don’t know.

 

[Tonyroo]

That looks like my hen/cock. It’s over four months old and I still don’t know.

You have a current picture?

 

[Tonyroo]

Here's some pictures I got today.

Pic 1, look at his brother in the background for comparison.
Pic 2, look at his crested sister in the background for comparison.
All the same age.

 

[NatJ]

Here's some pictures I got today.

Pic 1, look at his brother in the background for comparison.
Pic 2, look at his crested sister in the background for comparison.
All the same age.

How old are they? It's common for chickens to mature at different rates. Nothing looks particularly unusual to me about his appearance

 

[Coops Dad]

I have had several runts, some thrived while a few didn't. My favorite was a little Ameraucana pullet who never got more than 2/3 the size of her siblings. She was friendly, which is unusual because the rest are somewhat skittish, and she loved to be picked up, carried, scratched under her wings. She never laid an egg and she never made "normal" chicken noises- her vocalizations were more like the croak of a raven but more high pitched. Her biggest shortcoming was that she never responded to any of the rooster's warnings and, one day, a hawk dropped on her like a brick.

I currently have another runt; at 3 weeks, it's half the size of its hatchmates and still has no visible tail feathers, and no body feathers- still in down- while the other 9 have full wings, full body feathering and little badminton birdy-looking tail feathers. It eats and drinks well but just has no size.

I hope it's a pullet and I hope she's friendly.

 

[Tonyroo]

How old are they? It's common for chickens to mature at different rates. Nothing looks particularly unusual to me about his appearance

They are all 10 weeks old from same batch hatch. My other 3 cockerels have burgundy bands on there wings and tail formation.
The little one's head is also small compared to one of the sister sitting next to him.

Also he still chirps like a baby chick, lol. It's cute.