What to do with chick smaller than the rest? Navigating age gaps

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Hi everyone, I’m in kind of an odd situation and just wondered what your advice would be. I have a group of 3 chicks, 2 Serama and a Brahma. One Serama is about 6-7 weeks old and the other is about 5, and the Brahma is about 5 (all guesstimates, didn’t know their age when I got them). The Brahma and older Serama are the same size, but the little Serama - my smallest chick - isn’t thriving as much as I would like. She isn’t being bullied or trampled, they get along great, she just seems puffed up in the mornings and I don’t see her scratch around and eat like the other two. It’s warm outside where I live, getting up to the mid/high 80’s in the day and low 70’s at night. I feel like my littlest Serama would do better separate under a brooder lamp at night, but I can’t leave it on during the day because it would get too hot… I’m also worried about stressing her out moving her back and forth, but I don’t know what else I should do for her unless I just separate her entirely for a week or two until she gets bigger. It’s not ideal to have these age gaps and sizes, but that’s where I’m at right now, lol - you work with what you have right?

 

[janiedoe]

Hi everyone, I’m in kind of an odd situation and just wondered what your advice would be. I have a group of 3 chicks, 2 Serama and a Brahma. One Serama is about 6-7 weeks old and the other is about 5, and the Brahma is about 5 (all guesstimates, didn’t know their age when I got them). The Brahma and older Serama are the same size, but the little Serama - my smallest chick - isn’t thriving as much as I would like. She isn’t being bullied or trampled, they get along great, she just seems puffed up in the mornings and I don’t see her scratch around and eat like the other two. It’s warm outside where I live, getting up to the mid/high 80’s in the day and low 70’s at night. I feel like my littlest Serama would do better separate under a brooder lamp at night, but I can’t leave it on during the day because it would get too hot… I’m also worried about stressing her out moving her back and forth, but I don’t know what else I should do for her unless I just separate her entirely for a week or two until she gets bigger. It’s not ideal to have these age gaps and sizes, but that’s where I’m at right now, lol - you work with what you have right?

Have you considered a brooder plate or a mama heating pad set up? That way she can get warm, without heating the entire area. I would give her a little vitamin water daily also. (Rooster Booster makes a great one, called Poultry Cell) Don't make it the only source of water, but give them access to it for a couple of hours each day.
Are you noticing any runny or red stinky poop?

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Have you considered a brooder plate or a mama heating pad set up? That way she can get warm, without heating the entire area. I would give her a little vitamin water daily also. (Rooster Booster makes a great one, called Poultry Cell) Don't make it the only source of water, but give them access to it for a couple of hours each day.
Are you noticing any runny or red stinky poop?

I have considered a brooder plate but decided against it, since she’s the last chick I’m planning on raising - once this baby grows up, I’m letting mother nature do the work if any chicks hatch.
Will give Rooster Booster as soon as I get home!
I have noticed some red/runny poop, which is concerning - Coccidiosis is always in the back of my mind but I don’t think there’s any way she could have picked it up because they have all been healthy since I got them and were from the same breeder.

 

[janiedoe]

I have considered a brooder plate but decided against it, since she’s the last chick I’m planning on raising - once this baby grows up, I’m letting mother nature do the work if any chicks hatch.
Will give Rooster Booster as soon as I get home!
I have noticed some red/runny poop, which is concerning - Coccidiosis is always in the back of my mind but I don’t think there’s any way she could have picked it up because they have all been healthy since I got them and were from the same breeder.

Coccidiosis is a good possibility. Especially if she is "puffed up" and looks cold. A mama heating pad is a good, cheap alternative for a brooder plate. I'd urge you to make one, in order for this chick to be more comfortable, and to thrive.

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Coccidiosis is a good possibility. Especially if she is "puffed up" and looks cold. A mama heating pad is a good, cheap alternative for a brooder plate. I'd urge you to make one, in order for this chick to be more comfortable, and to thrive.

Would you recommend dosing with Corid or Rooster Booster first? I know you can’t do both at once because they cancel each other out. Always would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to coccidiosis, but if that’s not the case and she just needs more nutrition, I don’t want to hold out on Poultry Cell... Ugh.

I can definitely do a heating pad! Thanks for the suggestion. With the heating pad, do you think she will be alright with the others? Or should I separate and monitor her at this point?

 

[Tonyroo]

She looks like a runt. It's normal for runts to look puffy. If you decide to give the chick corid make sure she actually has it, but that would mean all your birds have it. So don't medicate if no illness is observed.

Keep the runt with the flock, don't separate it. Don't give it additional heat if it's warm outside.

All you need to do make sure it has no competition over the feed and water.

I have a 3 month old runt, I hatched from my own flock eggs. He's doing strong.

Size difference among his siblings ( he's on the right).

 

[janiedoe]

Would you recommend dosing with Corid or Rooster Booster first? I know you can’t do both at once because they cancel each other out. Always would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to coccidiosis, but if that’s not the case and she just needs more nutrition, I don’t want to hold out on Poultry Cell... Ugh.

I can definitely do a heating pad! Thanks for the suggestion. With the heating pad, do you think she will be alright with the others? Or should I separate and monitor her at this point?

I'd use corid first. All 3 chicks can drink it. I'd leave her with the flock. In the picture above, she doesn't look puffed up, but if there is runny, red poop cocidoisis is a possibility. If the poop has a strong, "sweet" odor it is also a possibility.
If she is fully feathered, and she probably is at 5 weeks, she doesn't need supplemental heat. If she were mine, I would make a heat cave anyway, depending on your weather. I see no problem making chicks comfortable, when possible. If she has coccidoisis, she may be chilled.