We ordered day old chicks 3 weeks ago. Everyone has been growing well at comparable rates until this last week. One of the Buff Orbingtons that has been growing slower all along (but still growing) only grew .2 ounces in 3 days. Some of the others, including the other Buffs are 2x her size! Most of them are growing .6-.8 per day now. The other concern is that she cherps loudly for long periods of time . She looks healthy, she is feathering out, stool is normal, she is eating and playing. Why has her growth slowed and why is she cherping (in a distressed voice)? I am a newbee and concerned about her and her affect on the flock. I appreciate any thoughts on this.
I'll be interested to see what others say. I have one also that is growing much slower than the rest. It is eating and drinking like it should but is not chirping in a stressful way. I checked the vent and it is not pasted. I'm assuming that it is a runt for now and who knows...it could become a huge roo. It is two to three weeks old.
Some chicks just have a slower start. I've had a few do that( EE, BR and SLW) each chick was smaller than same age sibs but appeared fine in all other ways. The EE Never did get as big and the BR seems to be catching up. The thing that would concern me is the distressed chirping. Are the others letting her eat? is she cold? Watch her for a while and you my see something that will clue you into her problem.
Thank you for the replys. After not gaining any weight for 4 days she finally gained .2 ounces yesterday and today. I gave them all yogurt mixed with some of their feed in case it was an imbalance of intenstinal bacteria (read that can be an issue with artificially hatched chicks). They all Loved the yogurt, but she prefers to eat off the others beaks rather than out of the bowl. She pushes her little bit of weight around well, so she eats, drinks, and plays well. She is still cherping, almost like she is looking for Mom, but I dont think its that because she started doing it around the time that she stopped gaining weight last week.
I have had babies that were hatched in an incubator and would just SCREAM until I would pick them up and hold them close in a peice of soft flannel. I would wrap it around it so the baby felt secure and put it back in the brooder. Sometimes I put an old wind up alarm clock covered in flannel into the brooder and the babies would cuddle up next to it.
