Runt chick?

[Harmoni]

I have 4 chicks that hatched that hatched feb 6th and 7th so they are over 4 weeks old now. One is a definite roo, so he is big. The second is average size. The third is small, but not as small as the 4th. The tiny one was the first to hatch. It seems to eat and drink normally so why is it so tiny? Mom was a hatchery ee so likely ameraucana welsummer x and dad was also an ee but bcm ee x. Should I be concerned? What kind of health issues am I looking at for the 2 small ones?
The chick labeled 1 is the runt, 2 is the roo hatched the day after and 3 was the last to hatch.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Possibly failure to thrive, or it could just be really stunted and needing to do some catch up.

 

[Harmoni]

Possibly failure to thrive, or it could just be really stunted and needing to do some catch up.

Will it just die one day if it is failure to thrive?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Will it just die one day if it is failure to thrive?

Most likely. Unfortunately there's nothing you can do about that as it's just means there's something wrong with it internally that's causing it to not develop properly.

I wouldn't give up hope yet, there's been plenty of stories on here of runts that eventually hit a growth spurt and caught up to their broodmates as far as size and productivity.

 

[Lor]

How is the chick doing?
I too have a runt to worry over.

 

[Harmoni]

How is the chick doing?
I too have a runt to worry over.

Both runts passed away. Oddly enough the larger runt died first followed 2 days later by the smallest.
I'm assuming bad genetics as only 2 of our 6 are still living.

 

[Lor]

Sorry to hear that.
The runt here is feathering slower than her cousins, too. That's worrisome.

 

[Harmoni]

Sorry to hear that.
The runt here is feathering slower than her cousins, too. That's worrisome.

it wasn't just feathering. The one that died first was growing very slowly. The smallest one, was feathering but literally hadn't grown since hatch practically.

 

[Lor]

In the chick pile you can see the runt lower right compared to her cousin same age next to her on the left. Smaller and less feathering.
Wyandottes not the buff orpington.

 

[Harmoni]

In the chick pile you can see the runt lower right compared to her cousin same age next to her on the left. Smaller and less feathering.
Wyandottes not the buff orpington.

How many weeks? Does it sleep more than the others? My smallest runt slept more than the other chicks.