Tiny is too tiny!

[Cluckhead]

We have a Spreckled Sussex, about 3 months old that doesn't seem to be growing. She eats and drinks but isn't getting any bigger- she's about 1/2 to a 1/3 of the size as the others who are the same age. She still peeps a lot more than the others too. I thought I'd see if she'd catch up but I'm getting worried. Her fluight feathers look big and her beak too but she's pretty skinny.

When she's out she's active but she does squint a lot and sleeps a lot too. She can definately see because she's still eating and moving around.

Any ideas?

 

[cherrychicken]

Hmm... I heard that bantams can grow a lot slower than standard chicks. Maybe it is a bantam?

 

[Cluckhead]

I had that thought too. She's not supposed to be a Bantam though.

 

[allmypeeps]

If she feels like she is wasting away try deworming her ....roundworms can use up the hen's nutrients so even if she is eating well she will not gain weight.

Even if they are young they can have worms, it can also be in the soil as well.

depending where you ordered her or got her from, they may have made a mistake and given you a banty...

o-well.....surprises are FUN!

e

 

[Cluckhead]

Any suggestions on de-wormers?

 

[Judy]

Here are some threads I have bookmarked on worming... but I don't think I would do this unless you see funny looking poo or other signs of illness like weak, droopy, sleepy, etc. If she seems healthy other than her size, maybe she is. Many have runts in their group; I had one last year; it never got real big but it did not act sick and enjoyed a chicken-y life. Oh, I'll add the bookmark for the poo website, too, in case you haven't seen it.

http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=103771&p=1
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=174004
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=188574

 

[Cluckhead]

Quote:
Thanks. She is VERY sleepy all the time and does try to cuddle into the others when it gets cold. She does eat well and drink and gets around fine but she sleeps alot and has her eyes half open most of the time. I'll take a look at her droppings today and see if I see anything. I did check the droppings in the coop yesterday and didn't notice anything weird.

 

[Andora]

She looks sickly to me.

They don't sit around ruffled and with their eyes half closed unless something is wrong.

If you can afford it, I would take a fresh poop sample to the vet to see if she has any cocci or worms. That way you'll know 100% for sure.

You can give her special treats to fatten her up a little, like scrambled eggs with oats and poly-vi-sol (no extra iron) and the egg shells crushed back up into it. Plain yogurt is good too, and organic apple cider vinegar in the water. You can put a few drops of the baby vitamins on her beak every day. If you put it in the water it just dilutes the vitamins! Make sure she is eating some grass and weeds, and/or give her fresh greens and kitchen scraps. If you can isolate her with one other calm bird for company that might help, so she doesn't feel like she has to compete for food or anything.

Sometimes I think there are birds that just don't thrive, not for any reason we can find. I had a chick once who grew extremely slowly and never feathered out right. There was nothing wrong with her at all--she didn't have worms or anything. I ended up giving her to someone else when I sold the rest of my Welsummers. I'm not sure what happened to her.

 

[Cluckhead]

Quote:
Thanks for the reply. She eats and gets plenty of treats but hardly weighs anything. She gets spinach, grass, bugs, worms, scratch, watermelon, figs and beet greens. I put the ACV in the water, use DE and will give the Poly-vi-sol a shot. She just isn't growing and has those sleepy eyes (ever since we picked her up 2 months ago).

I feel bad that she's not growing but I almost think its a hereditary issue as no one else is having any problems.

 

[Andora]

It sounds like it might be a hereditary issue then, you're right.

Maybe she just has failure to thrive.