Please help. Breast bone in 4 week old chicks

[cutipatooti]

This is my first time raising chick's or even having chickens of my own. My chick's are 4 weeks old and I can feel their breast bone. I have felt it all along. I just assumed they would fill out but im not sure when. Can someone tell me if this is normal. Thanks

 

[cutipatooti]

Can someone please tell if they feel the breast bone, or keel I think it's called, in the chick's that they have now

 

[LaynaDon95]

I have 4 week olds, 5 week olds, 10 week olds, and 11 week olds, and I can feel the breastbone in almost all of them. Your just fine.

 

[cutipatooti]

Thanks for the reply. Do you know when they will start to fill out. They have access to food but often fill it with shavings which I clean out several times a day. I added another bowl even though it's a dog bowl. One started dust bathing in it.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Thanks for the reply. Do you know when they will start to fill out. They have access to food but often fill it with shavings which I clean out several times a day. I added another bowl even though it's a dog bowl. One started dust bathing in it.

It's just the way they are built at this age. It's nothing to do with what you're doing or their food. I have no idea when they fill out, but I hope soon. We are going to eat the roosters but at this point, there won't be any meat come harvesting time! =P My 10 and 11 week olds free-range all day and have access to feed 24/7 and like I said I can feel their breastbones very well. I guess they'll just fill out when they fill out. But, just to be said, even on adult birds you can feel their breastbones. They just won't be as pertinent.

 

[cutipatooti]

Thanks again I was hoping to put them outside at 5 or 6 weeks but was afraid there was something wrong and with no meat on their bones they would chill and die

 

[jak2002003]

I am having the same problem and I know something is not right with my 2 silkie chickens, but I cant figure out what.

When I pick them up they have no muscle or meat on them, just a huge breast bone, and I can feel in deep into their body. Its horrible. But they are acting normally and are very lively and eat and drink normally. Their is no signs of sickness or disease.

I had been feeding them up with lots of treats, chick starter food, corn, mealworms, but now i gave up as after 4 weeks they are still the same. I will now worm them, but I doubt its worms as they are not acting sick and I have not seen any worms in the poop.

They are about 3 months old now.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Thanks again I was hoping to put them outside at 5 or 6 weeks but was afraid there was something wrong and with no meat on their bones they would chill and die

They should be just fine.

I am having the same problem and I know something is not right with my 2 silkie chickens, but I cant figure out what.

When I pick them up they have no muscle or meat on them, just a huge breast bone, and I can feel in deep into their body. Its horrible. But they are acting normally and are very lively and eat and drink normally. Their is no signs of sickness or disease.

I had been feeding them up with lots of treats, chick starter food, corn, mealworms, but now i gave up as after 4 weeks they are still the same. I will now worm them, but I doubt its worms as they are not acting sick and I have not seen any worms in the poop.

They are about 3 months old now.

Hmm... I was going to suggest worming them.
If they are acting normally then I wouldn't be too terribly worried about it. Have you posted in Emergencies? Maybe someone there could help you.

 

[cutipatooti]

I actually pet sat a silkie once. I could feel it's breastbone. ,like it had no meat on it what so ever. I thought it was being starved but it acted normal and eating even laid an egg. Not too bad for a bird that lives in a apartment. I still felt bad for it

 

[LaynaDon95]

You pet sat a chicken?? 0.o I wanna meet a person with a pet chicken in their apartment... =P