Runt Chick question

[AndreaC]

I have salmon faverolles chciks 2 weeks old and I am handfeeding one of them. I believe this chick is a rooster and I'd like to keep him, but I'm not sure if he'll remain a runt forever or catch up in growth.
Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[gritsar]

My rooster, a LF dark brahma, was the scrawniest, least-feathered chick for the longest time. Now at two years old he weighs over 13 lbs. and towers over my LF brahma hens.

Thor then:

Thor at a year old:

 

[nanawendy]

Good to know... I have a runt BR and keep moving her to younger brooders.

 

[LauraG]

WOW!!! Did he *blossom* into a beauty!

I also have a runt BR and everyone else is feathering much quicker than her, I dont really know what to do.....
Nothing I suppose.....Just watch & wait

 

[Mahonri]

I have a CA white that I hatched out of bargains eggs. She was so tiny, but she is almost full sized now and lays a nice sized egg 4-5 times a week.

 

[wildorchid053]

i have a runt too and he is still a little bit smaller than his brothers but is catching up fast

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Are you sure she's is really a she?

 

[Lorije1]

Not to be a downer... I just lost a runt Monday night. She was a 1wk (and a day or 2) old BO and my other BO chick of the same age was twice her size, the runt looked like a fuzzy ping pong ball. Lil Nugget only had wing feathers (really long) and her baby fuzz.

Lessons learned:
- make sure the runt is absolutely warm and draft free (not "oh - she's in a warm box with no drafts" ... be SURE)
- sometimes, feed it separately so you can be sure it is eating and not just pecking - they go downhill fast if you think they are eating but they aren't
- watch to be sure nobody is stepping on it
- at the first sign of trouble start sugar water / electrolytes and/ or antibiotics (Nugget seemed to lose her voice - peeping lots one day, just "whispering" the next - turns out she was gasping

)

Enjoy them cuz they are the cutest little fuzz butts!

ETA - just more comments

 

[LauraG]

Quote:
Are you sure she's is really a she?

<<<<Gulp>>>>

What does that mean??? Uh, no, I'm not sure.......

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Are you sure she's is really a she?

<<<<Gulp>>>>

What does that mean??? Uh, no, I'm not sure.......

I would definitely post pics. In general, roos tend to feather and develop slower. Just look at the pic of Thor. All my pullets were way ahead of him and my other roos.