How to help a runt grow? And also sexing!

[farmlady2021]

I have 3 speckled Sussex chicks who will be 5wks old Wednesday, two are big and fully feathered where as one is really tiny and hardly has any feathers at all, is there anything I can do to help it grow quicker than it is? Also are all 3 of these hens you think (I think they are but i am new to chickens and these are pretty young) ? I already have 3 roosters out of 8 chicks so i don’t need any more! (These are all different pictures of my 3 Speckled Sussex)

 

[k10chiken]

I have no idea about sexing, but I've been working with a runted chick that grew quite slow (and relatively normal behavior, just seemed less lively overall than the rest) and I felt like it had an issue with eating. It never seemed to properly pick up food when it did eat, so I'm not sure if it was more an issue with that, or also an issue with digestion/absorbing nutrients.

Two times a day for about two weeks, I would offer a special food by hand (with the rest of the babies, to encourage pecking behaviors/competition). Basically, I would cook 2 egg yolks only, mince it down to a ridiculously near-microscopic particle size, and then mix with chick starter crumble in equal proportions, and just a little bit of warm water (some "Sav-A-Chick" electrolyte mix added). Just so it felt like moist sand.

My chick has really turned the corner now and had almost caught up fully to the rest, when there were a few days I was worried if it got much worse I'd have to consider culling. Some issues with chicks, you just can't overcome, and I've had a couple just fail to thrive regardless of intervention. But hopefully that trick might help you and your chick.

 

[farmlady2021]

I have no idea about sexing, but I've been working with a runted chick that grew quite slow (and relatively normal behavior, just seemed less lively overall than the rest) and I felt like it had an issue with eating. It never seemed to properly pick up food when it did eat, so I'm not sure if it was more an issue with that, or also an issue with digestion/absorbing nutrients.

Two times a day for about two weeks, I would offer a special food by hand (with the rest of the babies, to encourage pecking behaviors/competition). Basically, I would cook 2 egg yolks only, mince it down to a ridiculously near-microscopic particle size, and then mix with chick starter crumble in equal proportions, and just a little bit of warm water (some "Sav-A-Chick" electrolyte mix added). Just so it felt like moist sand.

My chick has really turned the corner now and had almost caught up fully to the rest, when there were a few days I was worried if it got much worse I'd have to consider culling. Some issues with chicks, you just can't overcome, and I've had a couple just fail to thrive regardless of intervention. But hopefully that trick might help you and your chick.

Thank you for your recommendation!! This little one seems to eat good and runs around just as good as the others so maybe it is just not absorbing it’s food like it should be I’ll try your trick though!!