What to do with a 5 week 'failure to thrive' chick among 3 thriving ones

[Flockincrazy]

Hi,

Five weeks ago I bought 4 chicks from a feed store. Two weeks later, it became apparent that one (sophia - a rhode island red) was failing to thrive.

I gave her baby electrolytes right away. Then, Nutry drench in water. It perked her up.
Now, Sophia still looks like a 2 week old chick, plus a tiny tail and feathers on her wings. Sophia eats and drinks ok, peeps a lot while looking for warmth from the others. Grows feathers really slowly.

The other 3 are almost full feathered. They all get along nicely.

Soon, It will be time to introduce them to the putdoors, and move them to the coop.

What do I do with Sophia?
- can't keep her in the brooder alone, can I?
- are there other domesticated animals she could share the brooder with?
- should I put a heat lamp in the coop?
- should I give her electrolytes?
- should I feed her turkey feed?
- can she go in a tractor with the others without being feathered?

I read some of the other threads: i am prolonging the inevitable. Still I am interested in some of your ideas and experience.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Was she maybe mislabeled and is a bantam if so she will grow way slower than the others you can leave her in the brooder alone if you feel it would be safer for her if she is eating and drinking and moving around i would leave her in the brooder a little bit longer see if maybe she might be a bantam these are my bantams and she looks just like them they are 4 1/2wks

 

[Chicklove4ever]

I am in the same boat with one of my 5 week old Rhode Island Reds. How is your little one doing?

I am in the same boat with one of my 5 week old Rhode Island Reds. How is your little one doing?

Hi i was worried about Pretty bird for a bit i gave her eggs everyother day then she started to grow her feathers in slowly.She was tiny but feisty with her food so that gave me hope she would thrive.She finaly caught up in size with the rest.Shes the most curious and adventurous of them all. she has her place at the top of the pecking order now lol. Now i have a little leg horn rooster named Omlet that was a tiny runt like pretty bird,his red comb was bigger than his tiny little head lol but hes catching up too.I think your chicken will catch up im learning that some grow at slower rates then others as long as they play,poop,drink and eat i think they will be fine

 

[M Brennen]

Hi i was worried about Pretty bird for a bit i gave her eggs everyother day then she started to grow her feathers in slowly.She was tiny but feisty with her food so that gave me hope she would thrive.She finaly caught up in size with the rest.Shes the most curious and adventurous of them all. she has her place at the top of the pecking order now lol. Now i have a little leg horn rooster named Omlet that was a tiny runt like pretty bird,his red comb was bigger than his tiny little head lol but hes catching up too.I think your chicken will catch up im learning that some grow at slower rates then others as long as they play,poop,drink and eat i think they will be fine

Beautiful birds! Thanks for the reassurance. I was surprised that I had one so far behind all the others. She doesn’t seem any worse for wear. I think the others must keep her warm at night because I removed the heat plate last week since it had been so warm and to give them more space in the box. I’m in the process of integrating them with the four older birds I have. I just don’t want them to pick on her.

 

[Flockincrazy]

Hi i was worried about Pretty bird for a bit i gave her eggs everyother day then she started to grow her feathers in slowly.She was tiny but feisty with her food so that gave me hope she would thrive.She finaly caught up in size with the rest.Shes the most curious and adventurous of them all. she has her place at the top of the pecking order now lol. Now i have a little leg horn rooster named Omlet that was a tiny runt like pretty bird,his red comb was bigger than his tiny little head lol but hes catching up too.I think your chicken will catch up im learning that some grow at slower rates then others as long as they play,poop,drink and eat i think they will be fine

I'm glad they are doing well ☺

 

[Turkeyman69]

Hi,

Five weeks ago I bought 4 chicks from a feed store. Two weeks later, it became apparent that one (sophia - a rhode island red) was failing to thrive.

I gave her baby electrolytes right away. Then, Nutry drench in water. It perked her up.
Now, Sophia still looks like a 2 week old chick, plus a tiny tail and feathers on her wings. Sophia eats and drinks ok, peeps a lot while looking for warmth from the others. Grows feathers really slowly.

The other 3 are almost full feathered. They all get along nicely.

Soon, It will be time to introduce them to the putdoors, and move them to the coop.

What do I do with Sophia?
- can't keep her in the brooder alone, can I?
- are there other domesticated animals she could share the brooder with?
- should I put a heat lamp in the coop?
- should I give her electrolytes?
- should I feed her turkey feed?
- can she go in a tractor with the others without being feathered?

I read some of the other threads: i am prolonging the inevitable. Still I am interested in some of your ideas and experience.

Thank you in advance for your help.

I know this is an ancient post, but I felt it needed some fresh info. Hopefully anybody googling this issue can get all information available.

Sadly.....Some of the pictures posted here look like coccidiosis. You don't generally see failure to thrive that severe unless cocci is involved.

This is a major problem and something that feeding apple juice and scrambled eggs won't fix.

If you have googled "failure to thrive chicken" and landed on this page, PLEASE take the previous pages w a grain of salt, and take your chick to get tested for coccidiosis. The quicker you act, the better. It is extremely common, and imo and experience, thee #1 reason for failure to thrive in chicks 1-6 weeks old.

Local feed store or tractor supply should have corid to treat it.

Good luck to you and your chicks!

 

[M Brennen]

I know this is an ancient post, but I felt it needed some fresh info. Hopefully anybody googling this issue can get all information available.

Sadly.....Some of the pictures posted here look like coccidiosis. You don't generally see failure to thrive that severe unless cocci is involved.

This is a major problem and something that feeding apple juice and scrambled eggs won't fix.

If you have googled "failure to thrive chicken" and landed on this page, PLEASE take the previous pages w a grain of salt, and take your chick to get tested for coccidiosis. The quicker you act, the better. It is extremely common, and imo and experience, thee #1 reason for failure to thrive in chicks 1-6 weeks old.

Local feed store or tractor supply should have corid to treat it.

Good luck to you and your chicks!

Actually, one of my birds is pictured in this thread. She has been on medicated feed since we got her at a day old. There were thirty of them all together and then I got 12 more birds. I don’t believe it was coccidiosis as she is the only one out of all my birds (total of 45) that looks like that. Plus, no sign of unusual droppings. She was very slow to feather and still at 15 weeks old, has only a puff of a tail. I believe “failure to thrive” can have a multitude of reasons and a host of solutions. To suggest that “failure to thrive” is the result of coccidiosis is misleading and over simplifying a complex situation.

 

[Crazymomoffour]

I know this is an ancient post, but I felt it needed some fresh info. Hopefully anybody googling this issue can get all information available.

Sadly.....Some of the pictures posted here look like coccidiosis. You don't generally see failure to thrive that severe unless cocci is involved.

This is a major problem and something that feeding apple juice and scrambled eggs won't fix.

If you have googled "failure to thrive chicken" and landed on this page, PLEASE take the previous pages w a grain of salt, and take your chick to get tested for coccidiosis. The quicker you act, the better. It is extremely common, and imo and experience, thee #1 reason for failure to thrive in chicks 1-6 weeks old.

Local feed store or tractor supply should have corid to treat it.

Good luck to you and your chicks!

That is incorrect. Coccidiosis in a newborn chick is extremely rare. And also very contagious. Her other chicks would have had it too.

 

[Edonthehill]

have you tried any scrambled egg for her? this could be a possible food that might help her grow a bit faster. cooked simply without added butter if possible, as it might be too salty. it is so nutritious for chicks and helps when they are struggling. i can't offer anything other than that, and i hope others chime in. i understand wanting to help her and root for her.

have you tried any scrambled egg for her? this could be a possible food that might help her grow a bit faster. cooked simply without added butter if possible, as it might be too salty. it is so nutritious for chicks and helps when they are struggling. i can't offer anything other than that, and i hope others chime in. i understand wanting to help her and root for her.

Don’t know if you’ll see this since it’s now June of 2021, but how much scrambled eggs would you feed a chick? Til they stop eating?

 

[Edonthehill]

Hi i know this is an old post but i have a blue laced red wyandotte just like that she is 7 weeks old.How is the little one doing?did it thrive?or grow feathers? I hope mine will make it

Just saw your post. It’s Jun 2021 right now. I have a 4 week old barred rock and she is smaller than the rest. But not super tiny. She eats, drinks, hops on my hand at any moment she can and is very loving. But doesn’t seem sick at all. Just smaller.

 

[Chicklove4ever]

Just saw your post. It’s Jun 2021 right now. I have a 4 week old barred rock and she is smaller than the rest. But not super tiny. She eats, drinks, hops on my hand at any moment she can and is very loving. But doesn’t se em sick at all. Just smaller.

Hi yes she grew very big it just took her a while to get bigger but in my experience some chicks take longer to grow and when they do grow, their bigger than the rest of the chickens. If she's eating and playing and acting normal then she's just a runt she's not a failure to thrive.

Just saw your post. It’s Jun 2021 right now. I have a 4 week old barred rock and she is smaller than the rest. But not super tiny. She eats, drinks, hops on my hand at any moment she can and is very loving. But doesn’t seem sick at all. Just smaller.