Runt

[Banksia_the_lorikeet]

I have asked before about this little runt if I should hand raise him I decided against it he’s going pretty well but he’s still tiny hasn’t grown at all he’s the size of a three week on chick but he’s about eight weeks? He also has nearly all of his adult feathers except for ones on his head which looks a bit strange the other chicks of the same breed Are three times his size (about the size of a small bantam) is this normal for a runt? He hasn’t shown any signs of getting bigger he’s looks healthy and is eating. Also how do u tell if their a rooster? How early on do they start crowing?

 

[Wezdin]

Might seem like a weird question, but are you sure he isnt a bantam? Didnt know if you bought the eggs.I Don't think you are a noob, just want to make sure

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have asked before about this little runt if I should hand raise him I decided against it he’s going pretty well but he’s still tiny hasn’t grown at all he’s the size of a three week on chick but he’s about eight weeks? He also has nearly all of his adult feathers except for ones on his head which looks a bit strange the other chicks of the same breed Are three times his size (about the size of a small bantam) is this normal for a runt? He hasn’t shown any signs of getting bigger he’s looks healthy and is eating. Also how do u tell if their a rooster? How early on do they start crowing?

Do you have some photos?
Whole profile of your chicken with him/her standing naturally.

Tell us what you feed and what breed it's supposed to be.

 

[Compost King]

If he/she is feathering out and is acting healthy then just let it be part of the flock its being raised in.
I consider birds like this a blessing, I like having one that sticks out from the crowd.
There is no official crowing age, some become roosters early and others become roosters later in life. Some breeds will start crowing in the brooder and others much much longer.. I think some of those giant asian game breeds can go a year before they crow.

 

[Banksia_the_lorikeet]

Might seem like a weird question, but are you sure he isnt a bantam? Didnt know if you bought the eggs.I Don't think you are a noob, just want to make sure

He’s a columbine Wyandotte so a extra large chook same size as a Orpington iv been meaning to ask the person who I bought the eggs from just to make sure I got the right breed his colours are the right so I think he’s the right breed

 

[Compost King]

Ask the person you received the eggs from if he has bantam roosters that might have mated with the hens who laid those eggs. That would be my first guess as to why one turned out to be so small. I currently have a bantam mixed breed in a brooder full of large fowl. They hold their own in a flock of large fowl.

 

[Banksia_the_lorikeet]

Do you have some photos?
Whole profile of your chicken with him/her standing naturally.

Tell us what you feed and what breed it's supposed to be.

here he is, the one on the right is the same breed and age their columbine Wyandotte’s a large breed about the same size as an Orpington we feed them scraps, weeds and avigrain scratch mix I don’t think it has to do with the food he was hatched small

 

[Banksia_the_lorikeet]

Ask the person you received the eggs from if he has bantam roosters that might have mated with the hens who laid those eggs. That would be my first guess as to why one turned out to be so small. I currently have a bantam mixed breed in a brooder full of large fowl. They hold their own in a flock of large fowl.

I will ask them but I don’t think so I got to see their set up they had seperate pens for breeding

 

[Compost King]

That looks like a bantam to me. he should be fine. I love when I have one in a flock that turns out so much different than the others provided they are healthy.

 

[MotherOfPeepPeeps]

I had a runt barred rock who started out his life in much the same way... I dubbed him Chicken Little. He hit a growth spurt at three and a half months old, and did not only catch up, but over took the others to become one of the prettiest utility barred rock roos you could ever hope to see! He is in my profile pic along with two of the hens that are the same age. Here is a better pic of him.