Skinny chicks and empty crops?

[monkcat]

Have some chicks of varying ages. Don't know their exact ages, but think the majority are two weeks old and a couple are roughly three weeks old. First let me say, they are growing. But they are skinny! A few of them anyway. The older two are a RIR and a Barred Rock. They eat, not voraciously, but they eat. Very energetic. Very prominent keel bones and rarely do I see or feel a full crop. They are on chick starter crumble, regular and fermented. I added the regular back just to see if it made a difference. It hasn't. So they do have two places to eat and aren't crowded when it comes to food. Both foods are available at all times as well as water, of course. They do also get grit and have had half of a boiled egg yolk, a few insects from their forest floor bedding and a couple - literally a couple - of sunflower seeds.

I can feel the keel bones of the others as well. Quite prominently but the older two have the sharpest. The others I do see/feel a full crop toward evening. And they are winged, energetic piggies! I do realize there are differences in body build. Just not sure what is normal and what is not. The other babies are 2 Buff Orpington, 1 light Brahma, 1 Speckled Sussex, 1 Ameracauna, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Chicken Girl1]

Well if are they active chicks? You also may have a hatchery RIR which means unlike Wyandottes, Orpingtons, and Australorps she will have tight fitting feathers (if that makes sense?). So she probably will be smaller the the rest. I'm not sure on the barred rock though. Could you take and post a picture of them? It may help.

 

[monkcat]

Well if are they active chicks? You also may have a hatchery RIR which means unlike Wyandottes, Orpingtons, and Australorps she will have tight fitting feathers (if that makes sense?). So she probably will be smaller the the rest. I'm not sure on the barred rock though. Could you take and post a picture of them? It may help.

I'm sure it is a hatchery chick. It's not that the feathers are close fitting. It is that the keel bone is so sharp and the crop is empty in the evening. Very energetic though. Will try to post pics. I am at work. Will see what is on my phone.

again, not great pictures. Just what I have with me. Thanks!