Supporting "Runt" Chick

[Anon112]

Hi all,

I am a teacher and a class in our school hatched chickens as a project. They needed someone to take the hatched chicks. I've had chickens for a few years, but never raised chicks before.

One of the chicks was brought to me a few days before I took the whole group home. Apparently the students had been handling the chicks and something happened and one of the chicks had a bad leg. The teacher said that the other chicks were really going after it, so I agreed to take it home and see if I could help it. After a ton of research, it seemed pretty likely to me that it was a case of Splayed Leg. I made a little hobble for it and took care of it on its own for three days. I had to help it get to food and water, but it was eating and drinking (and pooping!) plenty.

Fast forward to me taking all the chicks home. The little chick with the hobble was in a wire basket with a heating pad and towels on the bottom. I set up my little chick corral and put the other chicks in. I then put the whole basket in so that the other chicks could see it. I could see the injured chick's spirits really lift on seeing other chicks. As an experiment I put it out with the other chicks and they immediately all cuddled it and did a little friendly grooming.

I've been changing the hobble regularly and it seems like the bad leg is getting better (though still noticeably not correctly aligned). In terms of group dynamics, the little chick is doing well. It also has really gotten good at walking in the hobble so that it can get to food and water.

And yet the injured chick looks developmentally behind the other chicks. It is physically smaller. Its feathers don't seem to be developing as quickly. I'm wondering if it is eating but just not eating enough? Or maybe its little body is devoting energy to healing and not to growing?

My question is how to support the little guy or gal. As per some internet advice I gave it some hard-boiled egg yolk yesterday. Is there anything else I should be doing for it? It seems to be alert, interested in its surroundings, and has plenty of attitude. It does not act like a failing/dying animal. (I do notice that it seems to sleep a little bit more than the others). Aside from the egg yolk, their regular feed is Dumont Chick Starter and water with some chick-specific probiotics. Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[moniquem]

I got my first flock of 5 mixed chicks about 3 weeks ago. One of them was much smaller than the others, still is, but everything else with her is normal. She has thrived and is growing so I'm not gonna worry about her, although I was in the beginning. Good luck!

 

[xXStringbeanXx]

They grow at different rates, especially males and females, with female being the faster growing/feathering.
Male on bottoms versus female up top (same breed)

And different breeds...

All my chicks are the same age, maybe give or take a day. I have decided that since the little black roo (most likely) is active and eating and happy, he just is taking his time to grow up. I think your guy will be okay.

It’s so hard not to worry though!

 

[Anon112]

I got my first flock of 5 mixed chicks about 3 weeks ago. One of them was much smaller than the others, still is, but everything else with her is normal. She has thrived and is growing so I'm not gonna worry about her, although I was in the beginning. Good luck!

Thank you for the reply. I'm relying more on behavior than the chick's physical look (which, aside from the leg seems to be normal), but I'd hate to get two or three weeks in and find out I should have been giving some supplement or offering isolated feeding times or something. Glad to hear that "runts" can do okay.

 

[Anon112]

Ya'll are making me feel so much better! Thank you!