Runt chick

[Nathan J]

I've got a chick that is definitely not growing normally. She (presumably; sexed by the hatchery) is 3 weeks old today and is about half the size of her flock-mates.

She's a Barred Rock. Overall I have 5 BR, 5 Black Australorps, 6 Golden Comets (a sex link from Cackle Hatchery).

She isn't very active and spends quite a lot of time in the heating pad cave. She seems to eat pretty normally, I suppose, though less less enthusiastically than the others, and she isn't denied access to food by the others or anything like that. She has a plaintive little peep that is kind of pathetic.

She seems to be feathering out like the others. Her wings seem oversized for her body.

I'm figuring there's nothing really to be done and since she's eating fine I'll just wait to see what happens. Though I do suspect there's a sizable chance that she might not make it to adulthood. But I'd be interested to hear what others with experience or knowledge of this condition think.

Here are some pictures:

 

[lightchick]

I'd try giving her coconut oil/unsweetened dried coconut chips. There was a study done on feeding chickens coconut and apparently it helped the chickens stay healthier and grow bigger.
Coconut oil would probably be easier for her to digest. Hope that helps!

 

[Nathan J]

I'd try giving her coconut oil/unsweetened dried coconut chips. There was a study done on feeding chickens coconut and apparently it helped the chickens stay healthier and grow bigger.
Coconut oil would probably be easier for her to digest. Hope that helps!

Thanks