Not growing?

[silkie10]

Hey guys! So I have 2 little girls, their names are Luna (Buff laced Polish) And Martha Mae (White silkie) They are about 4-5 Months old but are the tiniest things. I know silkies are bantams, but not that small, and I've never seen a polish this little either. They've been the same size since they where 2 months old. Are they going to stay this big for their whole life? I can't put them in with the rest of the flock because they are so tiny. Should I make a separate coop for them? I'm going to have @Squishychicken look at them tomorrow but there isn't much she can do but look at them. Should I get them a rooster? That's something I've been thinking about. I don't know what to do!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

A rooster will NOT help your issue and might make it worse.

Got pics?

What are feeding including treats and supplements?

Some lines of chickens are much smaller than others... even in Silkies. Honestly... I can see why the UK has two size standards for them.

Is the Polish bantam? Where did they come from?

ALL my birds including Silkies and chicks stay WITH my flock (using look but don't touch integration) UNLESS I have a large fowl rooster. Then I separate in order to prevent accidental injury from a possibly overzealous boy.

For me... more coops means more time cleaning, feeding, and locking up... but if that what makes the most sense for your you and you are able... then it may be a good solution. I do have multiple coops, as chicken math runs deep here though.

 

[Shorty22366]

I keep my bantams and silkies with my flock and I don't have a problem with them. My smallest bantam Lucy is the bossiest one in the whole coop and run. I have Jersey Giants, Favorellaes, Polish, Cochin, Sebrights and Silkies. Lucy is boss hen and even the roosters don't bother her. She weights maybe a pound.

 

[Shadrach]

My sister recently got Silkies despite my advice. She's in the UK and as @EggSighted4Life points out, they have two standards in the UK; small and cute, and smaller and cuter. It seems she got the later......not much point in going round there for breakfast..
Like yer man above, I have multiple coops and it can save a lot of problems for the chicken but create more problems for you. I don't mind the extra work; you may differ.
As for the rooster, I can't see that helping frankly.

 

[Squishychicken]

The rooster I would be giving her would be a serama.
What shes trying to ask is if she builds them a seperate coop should she get a roo for them.

She got them from TSC this spring so there hatchery quality. And from seeing them a month or so ago they were tiny even then little to small for bantam. So my guess would be either a birth defect but they don't have any sicknesses or qualities like a defected one would other then beung small. So my guess would be really really small bantam.

 

[Squishychicken]

I used to have a oegb batam named speckles she was 2nd in the pecking order. No one messed with her. I also have a bantam silkie in my pen along with who knows how many serama cockrels.

But I think my flock is so used to changes and diffrent sized birds of diffrent ages and breeds that they just don't care.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I personally would NEVER keep a rooster or cockerel with only 2 ladies long term... it's a recipe ripe for over mating of both girls... regardless of breed. And especially not in a small confined space.

Yes, once my Silkies get some maturity they are often a force to be reckoned with, as well. I keep my Silkie boys in the stag pen along with Marans, Sussex, and others. But I won't allow a single bully to stay... I control my flock dynamics. Standard pecking stuff happens and that is usually OK.

 

[Chickem707]

Think I’m having a similar problem. When only 1/6 of my jersey giants hatched, I purchased 2 chicks that were supposed to be large breeds. One is a FBCM roo, but one seems so be part silkie (no idea what other breeds she could be). She has had a lot of problems, and I can’t tell if that’s stunted her growth, or is she’s just really small. I really hope she grows, because all of mine are getting very large, and at 10 weeks, she’s just over 10cm tall.

 

[karissapaul]

you've got to wait