Twelve Week Old Runt Chick(Not hardly feathered at all!)

[Catwmn]

These four chicks are twelve weeks old. As you can see there is one that is definitely smaller than the rest and has hardly any feathers. It eats fine, drinks fine, and poops fine but I noticed today that it's belly is swollen and seems bruised or black colored. I am not sure what to do with it. I have moved the bigger chicks to the grow out pen, and this one is now alone so I can give it vitamins and special care, also because it needs a heat lamp at night. These four did have coccidiosis when they were young but they came through it just fine after being treated with Corid. Do you think the Cocci stunted this one's growth? Will it ever catch up? I feel so sorry for it. It cries all the time like a new baby chick.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Gosh, thats a huge difference in size and development! It is definitely possible that the Coccidiosis caused this, as chicks that survive it can be stunted and unthrifty. It is just as likely that it just has something internally wrong with it. Not all chicks grow properly, or thrive.

Some chicks that are runts grow up to be perfectly beautiful, productive birds. One such story with a happy ending is this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-not-grow-update-hes-found-a-forever-home/350. As long as he doesn't seem in pain, you can let him live.

Give him so high protein foods, like scrambled eggs. Yogurt, applesauce, probiotics,electrolytes, and vitamins are all good things to give runts. I once had a runty chick. I fed her moistened chicken feed and gave her electrolytes and probiotics. She started growing normally, and acting like like a normal chicken. Unfortunately, I went to see her one day when she was ten weeks old or so, and she was dead. Just 30 minutes earlier, she had been happily eating and looked normal. Something must just have been internally wrong with he.

Good luck with your chick!

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

Holy cow that is a huge difference! I'm really not aware of anything that you can do that you haven't already done. High protein foods could be good but if it's eating and drinking then just continue what you were doing. Good luck

 

[HannahinOly]

one of my chicks has the same issue! all the chicks it grew up with are out in the coop and its still in the brooding box with the babies, who by the way, are already outgrowing it.

what happened with your runty chicken? good news i hope!

 

[Catwmn]

Fourteen weeks old and still very small but is finally starting to grow a few more feathers. I'm just being super patient and giving her time to do what she needs to. She is still eating and drinking just fine and seems perfectly normal except for size and feathering.

 

[HannahinOly]

I'm happy to hear that! I think I will feel better if my little Oreo feathers in.