my baby chick isn't growing. help??? picture included

[dweder]

I have a 3 week old Columbian Wyandotte chick that is not growing. She is still in full baby down with only a few small wing feathers. Her brooder mates, all different breeds, are all feathering out and growing like weeds at the same age. I see the poor little girl eating, but I never catch her drinking. I am making sure that I feed her food a few times a day with moisture since I do not know if she is getting water.

Does this breed have this problem? Do I need to force feed her with a syringe? Is she sick? Will she eventually grow?

I appreciate any/all suggestions. I'm loosing sleep over my little midget.

 

[zeus]

Hi,I have 3 week old RI reds,and one has always been a little smaller.What I did was I went and bought a poultry powdered "electrolite" mix-(kind of works like Pedialite with babies),and add a little to the waterer for all of them each day.She seems to like it and is getting bigger,and eating better now.Just a thought.I'm new at this,but it worked for me! good luck!

 

[RAWR]

Quote:
agreed
and sometimes, some chicks are just late bloomers

 

[kipper]

We had a similar situation with a Delaware. She was named Pee Wee. Eventually, you couldn't tell her from her sisters.

The fact that yours has made it to 3 weeks is a good sign.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I think with all breeds there can be a late bloomer. I got 16 Columbian Wyandottes & one was very tiny from hatch. While she is still small at 9 weeks, she feathered normally. 2 of the bunch were barely feathered at 5 weeks when I put them out. I know one was small when I got it, but don't know about the other (Can't tell them all apart). 4 weeks later the one samller one is fully feathered and just a little on the smaller side. The other however is pretty big, but really only has head & wing feathers. Long down covers most of the rest of her. I don't know when she will feather out. I got mine from Meyer, by the way.

 

[dweder]

Thank you for your replies. Looks like I just need to be patient and hope she is just a late bloomer.

I purchased mine from mypetchicken.com. fyi

 

[chicknerd]

I have two Columbian Wyandottes who are maybe a few days older than yours, and they have only a few more feathers than your chick. They eat well and seem to be thriving. I think they are just both taking a little longer to feather out.

 

[Mak]

One of my four Dominiques is like that. They are all almost 3 weeks old and Smidge is just smaller than the others. For a few days after we got them, I didn't think she was going to make it, either. I even put her in her own brooder box and hand fed her mashed hard boiled egg with ground sesame and flax seed. She loved it, and it got her going. She has definitely grown but is still smaller than the others. She's back in the main brooder and has no trouble keeping up with the bigger girls!

 

[Groo]

I have the same situation with one of my 3 week old bantams. The other 9 are getting big, flapping their wings and eating up a storm. She is still tiny, eats some and, like dweder, I don't see her drink much. And she has a few wing feathers but mostly baby down. If I put the waterer right in front of her, she will take a few sips. I'll try the electrolyete stuff. Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!