What is wrong with this chick? Arrested development?

[chickenpiedpiper]

My name is Chicken Pied Piper, and I am a Hatcha-holic. I have chicks incubating or in the brooder at all times, I cant help it. However, every once in a while, I get a chick that just seems to stop growing. In the photo below, you can see this one. It is the same age as all the others, hatched the same day, raised in the same brooder, same food and temps, same hen and roo.

Does anyone have any idea why this happens? or how to help the little one?

I have begun supplementing thier daily rations, with some egg yolk soaked crumbles, and sometimes a little yogurt, but I dont know that it helps, but the little one seems to really like the yolk. He/she does eat and drink with the others, Just doesnt grow!

Why?

Thanks. CPP

 

[KWAK]

that is really weird! I have never heard of that befoR!?

 

[mrslb333]

Quote:
I'd not either till last week when I went to pick up some Silkies they were all huge apart from one that looked newly hatched but they were the same age

I had a Muscovy that took months till he grew bigger than a day old. He was the only one that hatched so I had no others to compare him to. He grew very slowly but he was always sickly sadly he died on new years day he was 5 months old bless him

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Bantams started with select breeding of the "runts". They do appear every once in a while.

 

[Higins00]

As long as it's healthy it could just be a runt. Just like humans have small kids. It's way cute!

 

[mrslb333]

Quote:
Would that be how you get miniatures, I love miniature Silkies

 

[bantyshanty]

I've hatched out about three "runts" so far, of a couple dozen hatches. Two died in the brooder after a lot of intensive care, one was raised by a broody and was abandoned when she didn't grow.

The one that made it is now 4 months old, looks like 8 weeks, and is just learning to crow. I fed him crushed dried mealworms and egg yolk daily for I brought him in at night until recently.

Extra protein & EFA-rich oils (like flax meal) should help your chickie a lot. The chick may need some alone time too, so as not to get picked on by the others. Good luck

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Quote:
Would that be how you get miniatures, I love miniature Silkies

Yep, breed small to small to get...... you guessed it........small.

Not in ALL cases will this happen, but cull the bigger ones, & keep breeding the smalls.

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, however, this chick isnt just small, its not developing. Those little wing feathers havent grown or multiplied at all. He is still in chick fuzz, and looks 5 days old, when he is pushing a month old. I have some seramas in my other brooder, and they are all feathers, waiting for the body to grow into them. This little dude just seems to have stopped. The other chicks dont pick on him at all, in fact he snuggles right up under thier feathers.

He is still small enough that I could put a jumbo egg next him, and he could fit into it. He just seems to have stopped developing...
None of the others that I have had that did this survived, one made it to 3 months old, Tiny Tim, but eventually he died too, still looking like a 2 week old. I just dont know what to do for them.

 

[Lil_Miss_Farmer_Chick]

well, just love the little sucker, and give him the best life has to offer until he either grows or passes on.