Why is my chick so small and featherless? Stunted growth?

[indego_88]

I have two 10 week old Gold Laced Wyandotte chicks. "Sage" was very sick at about three weeks old (to the point of not standing up) but with a lot of help recovered.

Ever since she has had such little growth, her feathers have hardly grown and she is tiny. Topaz, the other one is double in size and has lots of feathers. Could Sage be stunted? Will she always be smaller?

 

[gckiddhouse]

I do not know why your chicken is small and featherless. I have read that their growth can be stunted. I thought we had one that had stunted growth, but alas, it just turned out to be a rooster.

Apparently, they develop slower than their female peers. Ours was featherless for a while too, looks like around the same age. Boy he was an ugly thing. He took a long time to get all his feathers. He had a bare chest for a while, eww!

The size difference was not quite as drastic as what you have. But now, of course, he dwarfs the hens.
Good luck with that little one.

 

[gckiddhouse]

BTW, I just remembered...
I was at a feed store just yesterday and saw two chickens about the same age that looked exactly the same as yours, same breed and color, too. The store owner said they were clutch mates and thought it was strange that they were so different in size and feathering. I suggested to her that one might be a rooster.
Wow, they were exactly the same! I'll be you have a roo.

 

[indego_88]

hmm i hope its not a roo..
havent had much luck with that so far.
two of my older chickens ended up being roos

next time, im just getting point of lay.
though the little ones are cuties

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

It's cute either way

 

[stephys_fluffybutts]

Hmm could be.

I had a silkie chick that had severe crooked neck. It took me 3 months to get him better. Their was a point I thought he wouldnt make it. His brother which was 1 month younger was 5 times bigger.

Turned out to be a rooster

Half the size of my silkie hens.
Call him the midget................

Funny how that happens.

I have had silkie chicks just stop growing and they would eventually wither away no matter how hard I tried to help them.

Edited to say: I think the smaller ones are the best!!

 

[lockedhearts]

What illness did she have? I had a Buff Orp that had CRD and was sick sick sick, he looked like that for awhile, but now he is one Gorgeous hunk of Rooster.

 

[conny63malies]

I used to have the same prob, a little runt that died early. He had a open skull.

he alomost died after hatching and only lived because DH wouldnt and i couldnt kill Dumdum chicken. He eventually feathered out before he died.

Our chicks look like the had/have the same feather growth problem.

 

[indego_88]

Quote:
OOh thats so sad to hear.
how did you know about the open skull? Also, how old was he in the photo?

 

[indego_88]

Quote:
I have no idea what she had. Thought she really wouldnt make it. She just lay there, couldnt stand up, didnt really eat much and slept all the time. Until, one day she miraculously stood up and slowly got stronge. (this was all around three weeks old)

Ever since she has been fine. Eating heaps, drinking, shes very happy.
Now shes 10 weeks and she still so small!