Is there anything wrong with my chick?

[pbjmaker]

I have a "runt" bird that we call Itty Bitty who was getting sat on and squished by the others but was also very sweet, inquisitive, etc. I ended up giving her the vitamins for about a week and then put apple cider vinegar (the good kind) in the water for all of them. Although she

is still smaller than the others at 3 weeks old she gained a lot of strength and is one of the most fiesty ones I have. It helps that although she is a banty, my only EE "has her back". She was the last one to start feathering in and has the smallest tail too but seems to be doing fine. I would do what the others say and give her some baby vitamins - it can't hurt.

 

[auntbee]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I've taken her out a few times and she doesn't like- yogurt, yogurt mixed with feed, wet feed (will eat a tiny amount), or sprouts. She loves worms, bugs, shrimp and grit. I do see her eat feed and drink in the box, and I've seen her poop several times in the last day (once on my hand!) so I hope the extra attention/food helps. Here are some pics of my little Lulu!

She is on the far right, they LOVED being outside

 

[dftkarin]

I'm a first-timer too with 7 chicks that hatched on 7/9 and got here the next day and there is one BR that was the same size in the very beginning but pretty quickly was a lot smaller than the others (I have 4 BRs, 1 Austrolorp, a GLW and 1 SLW, so its easy to compare her to the other BRs). I tried seperating her once with access to food but she wanted back in with her sisters. She does eat and drink and is growing and doesn't seem to be picked on - and I also wonder about her. I'm keeping 3 chicks and giving 4 away to a neighbor who has had chickens for years and wants new chickens - and I can't decide if this little BR should be one I keep (so I can keep an eye on her and she can be in a flock of 3 with less competition for food and water), or let her go with the more experienced chicken owner and a bigger flock? I am going to keep the chicks a few more days and I wish there was some critical age when once the chicks have survived, I can be reasonable sure they will live?

 

[birdlover]

Hi dftkarin,

Just speaking for myself, I'd probably keep her for the very reason you stated. I know if I gave her to a neighbor I'd be constantly worrying if she is getting enough attention, is she happy, etc. etc. I find that, sometimes, people who are very experienced have also hardened a little to the realities of life and are more prone to let nature take it's course. (Not the wonderful members of BYC, of course!)

I took care of newly hatched baby chicks last fall at a Fall Festival farm and one of them was extremely, extremely smaller than the others. (They were all bantams but this one wasn't much bigger than a walnut). I kept a close eye on "Tiny" for the 8 weeks they were there and s/he didn't seem to realize s/he was so much smaller than the others. S/he did grow some over the eight weeks but never caught up with the others. But s/he functioned just fine in with the other 24.

 

[dftkarin]

birdlover,
I know what you mean, and I think I can probably protect her better within a smaller flock with less competition all the way around. One thing I wonder about though is if she'll make it to be an old hen!? I can only keep 3 no matter what and they will be pets and provide eggs eventually - and I would be sad if I kept her and and she died and then I only had two chickens. We're tender-hearted around my house so maybe it would save us potential heartbreak if we kept the three healthiest-seeming biggest chicks.