One chick with very slow growth?

[FirewifeJess]

Cyndi it sounds like the exact same situation! I don't have babies to put her with though, so she gets trampled but not technically bullied (at least, not what I think chicken bullying is supposed to look like). They don't peck at her or try to go after her, they just trample her if they're in a hurry to get somewhere, like when I bring worms out!

 

[malimom]

We are new to chick raising also and in the past month have learned loads going through the process of watching these little birds develop. We purchased eight chicks (two sets of 4 about 10 days apart) about 4 weeks ago. In each group there appeared to be a "runt" after a couple of days. One Buff Orpington had a vent issue which we were able to "nurse" from advice on this site, and has now more than made up for her slow beginning. In the second group we have a Rhode Island Red who didn't seem to be growing at the same rate with no obvious problem but has now caught up with her sister and the others in her group; however, she seems to have developed a little aggressiveness in the last couple of days and is trying to pick on the others. Perhaps the result of being a runt? Maybe time for a little more space. It's a little early to tell if "she" is a "he"....we'll see. Hang in there...your "runt" is probably stronger than you think and will catch up with the others soon.

 

[adgcountrygirl]

I have a "runt" Blue Laced Red Wyandotte. I suspect her problem stems from being found laying in the water (which luckily had marbles in it to keep them from drowning if they fell in) and she was already cold. I actually thought she was dead, but when I picked her up, she peeped weakly at me. I washed her in warm water, towel dried her under the heat lamp, and she had seizures every 5-20 minutes apart. I called the hatchery thinking maybe she had a seizure to begin with that made her fall into the water. An hour after that call, she stopped having seizures, and 2 hours later, she could stand, eat and drink on her own, so I put her back with the others. She was less than a week old when this happend. She is now a month old and about half the size of her fellow hatch mates. She is also not as active as the others. I don't have the heart to cull her yet. She still eats and drinks... Let me know if you learn anything. Maybe it could help mine too...

 

[Justgotchicks12]

I had a golden comet like that, she was a puff and the rest are feathered. But dont worry, she eventually had a growth spurt and now she's pretty caught up!

 

[Justgotchicks12]

And by the way, one way chicken bulling occurs, is the pecking cycle. One chicken claims dominence, and the others follow. When its feeding time the dominent chicken will peck the less dominent chicken of its feathers. When chickens grow feathers, their fluff stays awhile and then falls out. your runt may have fallen victim to the pecking cycle.

 

[bairo]

Is it a good idea to handle her more right now, to keep her warm and stimulated? I was thinking about bringing her in the house last night while I watched TV so I could keep an eye on her. Or would that just stress her out being away from her flock? I've also tried to give her some treats and hand feed her as I do notice that when I give the girls worms she never gets one unless I shoo the others away and give her one from my hand.

I would probably leave her with her hatch mates. One caution though especially with runts is the old saying (corners are your enemy in the brooder) I dont know what your brooder looks like....but if it has corners and they ever get chilled, they will huddle in a corner and it is usually the runt that gets hurt or worse. You usually do not have to worry about this as much when they hit 2 weeks of age but I might be concerned about that size difference.

As far as her being so much smaller.... I had a very bad experience with Meyer this year and I have talked to others that have had issues with the other big hatcheries this year. For whatever reason the hatcheries really got taken by surprise with demand this year. I believe many of them tried to get every chick they could out by hatching eggs from new laying pullets. Smaller less mature mom usually equals runts and other problems.

 

[FirewifeJess]

I have them in the 5x7' coop now (all 15 2-3 week olds) and the waterer is hanging, light is hanging, food is on the floor. For now they have a lot of space and are warm so not piling up in the corners. Here's Cupcake...she's sad. I really think she's on her way out but hope not, I'm not going to take a $3 chick to the vet no matter how sad, it just isn't feasable. If she looks to suffer we'll cull her She does, however, still eat and drink and her vent is clear but I guess there could be bullying I don't see while I'm away. I make sure to handle her, hand feed her a little, give her treats (worms) first, and she knows where food and water are as well, I just saw her drinking from the hanging waterer this afternoon.

 

[cashdl]

I have a runt in my chicks. These chicks are from my own breeding pens. The runt is 6 weeks old and the size of a the 1 week old chicks. I have kept her with the bigger chicks and she bullies her way to the food and water so I don't worry about her. I am assuming she is going to be a natural bantam, even though her parents are both on the bigger end of the large fowl spectrum for their breed.

As long as your chick is eating, drinking and pooping, there is not much you can do.

Lanae

 

[LovemyBabies]

I have them in the 5x7' coop now (all 15 2-3 week olds) and the waterer is hanging, light is hanging, food is on the floor. For now they have a lot of space and are warm so not piling up in the corners. Here's Cupcake...she's sad. I really think she's on her way out but hope not, I'm not going to take a $3 chick to the vet no matter how sad, it just isn't feasable. If she looks to suffer we'll cull her She does, however, still eat and drink and her vent is clear but I guess there could be bullying I don't see while I'm away. I make sure to handle her, hand feed her a little, give her treats (worms) first, and she knows where food and water are as well, I just saw her drinking from the hanging waterer this afternoon.

We have a Oprington that is goin through this same problem. We have her in with our week old Frizzles at the moment... I noticed her out with the other birds her age almost 3 week olds & she does NOT have nearly as many feathers as the others. I'd rarely see her come out of their lil house I made them. She'd come out for a few moments then go back in & stay there in the warmth... Being she didnt look so good I brought her in.. that's when I noticed her feather growth is no where near as far as theirs. She sleeps most the time, eats,drinks,poops.. everything looks fine.. besides her being Poofy & tired. Even in the bin we have her in she stays under the lamp, which by all rights she shouldnt be... her down is very soft & some parts almost gone... her hackles have barely moved since I last looked a couple days ago... as the others have their hackles in a ways, chest & saddle feathers... even their tails... our week old Frizzles have about caught up to her in feathering. Size, she's smaller,not much strength in her legs & doesnt work her wings -- but everything's normal & all the others are fine - no problems... I personally dont think she's going to live much longer, but I want to keep hoping.. she's a sweet bird...

 

[FirewifeJess]

We have a Oprington that is goin through this same problem. We have her in with our week old Frizzles at the moment... I noticed her out with the other birds her age almost 3 week olds & she does NOT have nearly as many feathers as the others. I'd rarely see her come out of their lil house I made them. She'd come out for a few moments then go back in & stay there in the warmth... Being she didnt look so good I brought her in.. that's when I noticed her feather growth is no where near as far as theirs. She sleeps most the time, eats,drinks,poops.. everything looks fine.. besides her being Poofy & tired. Even in the bin we have her in she stays under the lamp, which by all rights she shouldnt be... her down is very soft & some parts almost gone... her hackles have barely moved since I last looked a couple days ago... as the others have their hackles in a ways, chest & saddle feathers... even their tails... our week old Frizzles have about caught up to her in feathering. Size, she's smaller,not much strength in her legs & doesnt work her wings -- but everything's normal & all the others are fine - no problems... I personally dont think she's going to live much longer, but I want to keep hoping.. she's a sweet bird...

There might be hope! My sweet little Cupcake is still doing well, she's just tiny! Yes, she gets pushed about a little bit (pecking order is still going to happen, she's just gonna be the lowest) but nobody is pecking her and she isn't injured or starving/thirsty by any means as I see her eat and drink whenever I'm at the coop where they're brooding. You just never can tell I think, because now she is 5 weeks old and about the size of a 2 week old chickie. Here's Cupcake this evening sleeping next to her "sister", same hatch date of March 28!