Welsummer... are they normally smaller?

[yerawizard_Kristen]

I have a mixed flock, 2 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Black Australorps, 1 Barred Rock, and 1 Welsummer. Out of those breeds, I know the Welsummer will be smaller than the others when full grown, but is it normal at 6 weeks to have such a discrepancy in size? She eats well and isn't kept away from the food or water.

Hopefully these photos help show the difference:

 

[azygous]

She doesn't appear to be lagging in size. She may be a petite individual. I've had Welsummers, two out of the original five still living. Of those five, one was very petite. She's still living at age eight and laying regularly. The other four were much larger, but my petite girl has never been sick.

 

[K0k0shka]

That's not an alarming size difference. There's individual variation even between chicks of the same breed. I have 5 chicks of the same breed right now, of which 3 are the same size, 1 is much bigger, and 1 is much smaller, with the biggest one being about twice the size of the smallest one, even though they all hatched within the span of 1-2 days. I've noticed that the larger chick came out of a larger egg, and was always larger, and the smallest chick came out of a smaller egg (probably a pullet egg) so that's a factor, too. If the chick seems healthy and is otherwise thriving, I wouldn't worry about her size.

 

[K0k0shka]

P.S. I had a runt in last year's brood who, as a youngling, was always significantly smaller than the others of the same breed, despite being male. He caught up in puberty and still grew up to be a beautiful, large, fluffy rooster Some of us short folks are always destined to be short, but I guess with chickens there's still a chance of catching up later

 

[yerawizard_Kristen]

I feel like a crazy first-time mother!

 

[Farm Up North]

I've currently got a group of almost 6 week old chicks, two of which are Welsummers. Both Welsummers are a bit smaller than everyone else, and are slightly slower to feather out. They seem perfectly healthy, so it could very well be that they are just slow to mature.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I got a blue orpington, olive egger(maran mix), and a welsummer this year, at 6 weeks the welsummer was smaller, now at almost 12 weeks she's right up there with the other 2 I've never had a welsummer, she is so curious and sweet and makes the cutest little "duck" noises, lol

 

[yerawizard_Kristen]

I got a blue orpington, olive egger(maran mix), and a welsummer this year, at 6 weeks the welsummer was smaller, now at almost 12 weeks she's right up there with the other 2 I've never had a welsummer, she is so curious and sweet and makes the cutest little "duck" noises, lol

Ours acts like we're trying to murder her if we try to pick her up, but once she's perched on a hand she makes the cutest happy noises. She'll also fly up on our arms.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Ours acts like we're trying to murder her if we try to pick her up, but once she's perched on a hand she makes the cutest happy noises. She'll also fly up on our arms.

Lol, mine was standoffish at first but she is super friendly now

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

I got a blue orpington, olive egger(maran mix), and a welsummer this year, at 6 weeks the welsummer was smaller, now at almost 12 weeks she's right up there with the other 2 I've never had a welsummer, she is so curious and sweet and makes the cutest little "duck" noises, lol

My first year with Welsummers. They can be chatty!