Stunted Growth?

[Smelly2005au]

Hi i bought these guys at about 2-3 weeks old. i bought them on the 17 Janurary 2013, These 2 that i have are both pure breed Speckled sussex, Not bantams, these are not the only things i have noticed that seem to grow slower, i recently had welsh harlequin duck that i sold, which were all smaller in age then the duck i had kept, and since seeing the duck that i had sold today they have thrived and nearly out grown my duck! im wondering if there is something that i am doing, or could be something that has happened to why this could be happening. (Pictures Below)

Speckled sussex day or purchase, 17.1.13

and now . These photos were taken 11th feburary 2013,



At this point they are supposed to be about 11 - 12 weeks old.
They do not look much different to the last photos. Are they stunted? Is there something that could be wrong with my animals! And why do they seem to thrive after they leave my yard, I am worried i may be doing something wrong or that there is something wrong with them.

 

[Haunted55]

What are you feeding? Do you ever give them vitamins in their water?

 

[Smelly2005au]

i feed the babies, all a turkey starter, i have just swapped to medicated turkey starter to try and give them a boost, i think maybe i may be feeding to much even i really dont know whats going on. i also once they get a little bigger start putting some crushed up layers mash in with the turkey starter. Do you think i should get some suppliments for vitamins they do get to freerange some days also, not as much as my older chooks thou. because they tend to pick on them.

 

[animallover505]

Why not chick starter?

 

[Smelly2005au]

Well i was feeding them that to start with but again i have a polish x and i gave a polish x to my brother and his Polish is 10 times the size of mine, shes growing but its like mine seem to grow slower, so i asked him how and what they are feeding them, and he said turkey starter, so i thought i would try that and see how it goes, but there has been no change, My polish is now 3 mths old, but still small,
This is my polish a few days ago, for a 3mth old hen, i dont think shes large enough. shes a large breed also not a bantam.


Should i go back to chick starter, or something with more vitamins in the feed for them ? And just see how it goes. Also my polish X gets let out daily with the big chooks as they do not pick on her.

 

[animallover505]

I'd stick with chick starter, since it is for chicks.

 

[Haunted55]

i feed the babies, all a turkey starter, i have just swapped to medicated turkey starter to try and give them a boost, i think maybe i may be feeding to much even i really dont know whats going on. i also once they get a little bigger start putting some crushed up layers mash in with the turkey starter. Do you think i should get some suppliments for vitamins they do get to freerange some days also, not as much as my older chooks thou. because they tend to pick on them.

Well i was feeding them that to start with but again i have a polish x and i gave a polish x to my brother and his Polish is 10 times the size of mine, shes growing but its like mine seem to grow slower, so i asked him how and what they are feeding them, and he said turkey starter, so i thought i would try that and see how it goes, but there has been no change, My polish is now 3 mths old, but still small,
This is my polish a few days ago, for a 3mth old hen, i dont think shes large enough. shes a large breed also not a bantam.


Should i go back to chick starter, or something with more vitamins in the feed for them ? And just see how it goes. Also my polish X gets let out daily with the big chooks as they do not pick on her.

Your birds are getting too much protien. Birds at 11-12 wks. of age should be eating 16 -18% protien. Too high a % of protien can cause major problems and even poison them. You shouldn't be adding any layer pellets until they are laying either. This can cause calcium build up and leave deposits in the kidneys, liver and joints. You want a bird that is growing properly, not fast.

Switch back to a chick starter - grower with the proper protien % and if you want to add something until they are straightened out, I would just add Sav-a-Chick to their water or ACV. Provide grit as well. Then leave them alone, lol. Sometimes less is more.

 

[seminolewind]

I have a similar story. I had hatched a batch of chicks and at 6-7 weeks gave 2 to the neighbor and the rest to the man that wanted them. They are all Jersey Giant mixes. It's been 2 weeks and yesterday I found one in my yard that resembles the others but is only 1/2 the size. She's a speckled sussex/Jersey cross. Could she have been stunted by the others not letting her have enough food?

I went to see the siblings today and they are double the size, and one of them has the same gold lacing on the chest that this little one does. He doesn't have any birds like that.

 

[marilyn1954]

I have 2 polish chicks that I got with 14 others chicks all were just a couple of days old, well all was going smooth with them growing, and all are healthy BUT one of the Polish stopped growing at about 3 weeks old, they are all in the coop, they eat all day, they all fly in and out of the coop EXCEPT the one sm polish, she is only about 1/3 the size of all the others, and she never flys.....what's up??. She eats fine and seems ok, she's just tiny and doesn't fly