My first chicks are 5&1/2 weeks, how are they doing?

[jrharte]

Hey everybody

I recently hatched 3 eggs in an incubator and the chicks are now about 5&1/2 weeks.

I'm keeping them indoors in a homemade brooder with heat lamp.

2 chicks are legbars (one hen, one roo) and I've no idea about the third, all I know is it's a bantam of some type.

Can anyone shed some light on the bantam?

Also my legbar hen constantly tucks her neck. Wry neck? She is very shy compared to the other two.

Monty the roo

Primrose the hen

Smokey the bantam

 

[jrharte]

Also I'm afraid my chicks are under developed judging from pictures of similarly aged chicks.

For example check out these legbars at 6 weeks compared to mine:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/cream-legbars-from-chick-to-adult

At 6 weeks they are big hens were as mine are still small.

Am I not feeding them enough? I've no idea why they are so different.

 

[jrharte]

I have just realised my chicks are being fed layers (since birth)!

Obviously the reason for the undergrowth.

I can't believe I've been so stupid. The poor hens.

Do I start feeding starter immediately and just hope for the best?

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes. Let us know how it works out for you in the long term. My guess is that the lack of protein is more of an issue than the increased calcium. But time will tell. They may catch up and do just fine.