We have eleven birds all about eight weeks old. We have a variety of breeds and really like it! That being said we have three Ameracaunas that were selected at the same time and were the same size when we got them. Fast forward six weeks. Two of the Ameracuanas are the same size as all the other birds we got at the same time. The kicker is the third Ameracauna is tiny, I mean a 1/3 of the size of the others. She seems and acts healthy, fights for worms out in the pasture, has healthy poop etc. Is it possible we have an bantam? Are some birds just that much smaller? We are novices at this so we are looking for help.
I am a newbie too. I had the same issue with 2 Black Australorp "sisters". They were hatched on the same date and one was regular size and the other, very tiny, fluffy all over, no tail to speak of but fairly developed wings. Well, now, the tiny one has outgrown the normal sized one and I am beginning to think she is maybe a he! I will try and post a picture of the two when I brought them home.
There are bantam Ameraucana's. I had 6 rhode island reds. They were all the same at three weeks. At about 2 or 3 months one was 1/3 smaller than the rest. The smaller one acted totally normal, ran for food etc. I then happened to see that one of them had worms. I treated them all and the smaller one totally caught up in growth and I now cannot tell her apart from the others. Yours surely could be bantam. Just thought I would share my experience.
I had that happen to with my speckled Sussex. She is the size of a bantam and is suppose to be standard. She is about 6 weeks old right now and seems to be fine. My SS is a tough little one that almost died from a severe respitory infection, getting wet from the waterer being knocked over. Maybe she will lay small eggs??? Time will tell.
It is not unusual for one bird to be substantially smaller than the rest. Historically many breeders of birds and animals want these naturally occuring minatures. By selecting the smaller ones and breeding to another small one bantams in birds, toys in dogs, and minatures in cattle and horses are developed.
