Is this normal??

[mesz5]

Both of these chickens were hatched at the same time, eat/drink/sleep the EXACT same way?? But why are they growing at such a different rate? The little one has had some pasty butt issues and is the bottom of the pecking order?? I'm a first timer and paranoid! Haha

 

[Mommysongbird]

Are they the same breed? They kinda look the same. Maybe it has something to do with the pasty butt. I am dealing with that now. Have already lost 1 to that and another to just not thriving.

 

[mesz5]

Yes, they are both the same... I think it's strange, but I don't know much about chickens and this pasty butt issue makes me crazy

 

[Mommysongbird]

Yes, they are both the same... I think it's strange, but I don't know much about chickens and this pasty butt issue makes me crazy

I hear ya on the pasty butt issues. I have been raising chickens for 2 years now, started as a homeschool science project that has turned into something more and we have NEVER had pasty butt issues. This year we even started raising ducks.

I would say that their sizes must be because of the pasty butt? Maybe someone else will chime in with more knowledge.

 

[aggiemae]

We currently have eight new chicks that we picked up when they were less than 24 hours old. They they were about the same size the first day.. Out Buf Orps where twice the size of the other in a week . And now at about 8 weeks they are 25% larger that the SLW and GLW. And thought they weight much less than the Buffs our two Marans, the youngest of the new chicks, are even larger that the Buffs.

In answer to your questions,pasty butt could temporally slow down their growth and feathering. but more likely their breed their gene pools (and really a host of other factors) determine their size the speed of their development and later their longevity.