slow growing orp?

[hoppy]

I have a orpington that is supposed to be from brown orpingtons. this is the slowest growing bird. it's a pullet and I have 4 birds that I kept from that same hatchdate, 3 orp and one is a wyandotte. this bird is 1/2 the size of the wyandotte (her best bud) and I don't know if this is normal for some mutation colors (although she is a black laced blue) to grow so slowly. she eats well, has been wormed, just is small. I have 2 other lavender orps hatched at the same time and they are larger then the wyandotte. could she be a runt due to her genetic backround?

 

[Illia]

Doubtful. You say she's "brown" right? I'm assuming she's just carrying the dun gene? At least half the Buffs out there carry the dun gene . . .

It's probably that she is the runt, or something else is wrong. I don't think it has to do with her color though.

 

[hoppy]

Quote:
actually she is black laced blue from brown. the person I got my eggs from said the chicks hatch brown and stay brown, I got zero brown but I did get her. sadly I think she is a runt and will never catch up to my others. they are so much bigger then her but I make sure that is plenty of food.

 

[Illia]

I think the seller was selling dun-based Orpingtons then, and I think I know who you're talking about. You had a 50% chance of a brown, and it sounds like you got the other 50% chance. (blue or black)


I don't know if she'll catch up or not but I'd watch her closely, see if she really still does eat less or not, if she's picked on, etc.