These birds are SMALL

[crayon]

Well I figure there is not much I can do. But I got a hatchery shipment 4 weeks ago and my chicks look like they are 2 weeks old. Esp. my Partridge Rocks and my Polish. My RIRs seem to be maybe at the 3 - 3 1/2 week size. I have one chicken who we have been worried about since day 10. She is just so small. VERY happy and enjoys backyard living! But the other ones even the PRs who only look 2 weeks old can nearly walk right over her without noticing!

I changed my food about a week ago because I thought maybe it was a food issue- I had gotten a chick start from a local farmer who mixes himself. So, yeah- that could be it- we now have a commercial one.

Is there anything we can do to help stimulate their growth?

I have attached a picture of my 4 week 3 day old Partridge Rocks-

 

[suki'smom]

Wow those are tiny, they should have more feathers by now. I would just keep feeding them the commercial feed and they should catch up.

 

[Kaeta44]

I think you're wise to stick to the commercial chick crumb - it's properly nutritionally balanced, so is the right thing for your chicks. You can't really be sure that the farmer's food is properly balanced, however well intentioned he is.

My 2 Polish bantams were adorable as chicks. The rooster is a Polish Frizzle and there's some great pictures of him at 10 weeks and what the handsome fellow looked like as an adult (on my blog at http://muckycluckers.blogspot.com/ He's had his first moult and has lost his tail feathers, so he looks ridiculous now, as you'll see if you scroll down to the August 3 posting "Tail End".


http://muckycluckers.blogspot.com/

 

[crayon]

Kaeta44- I am glad I have a set of chicks 10 weeks older so I picked up on it quickly they were not growing nearly as fast! My poor chicks...

Your Gold Laced Polish is BEAUTIFUL! I had ordered one from the hatchery and a white crested blue. I got the white crested (adorable) but they sent me a Silver Laced instead of the Golden Laced. AGHHH.... I mean my crazy crested Silver is going to be quite lovely- but I had really wanted a GLP.

Eh... tis' life I guess....

Any ideas on how to pump up growth on a chick? I got one that looks like she is 7-10 days old- but she is 4.5 weeks! I will have to post pics later today!