Why is this chick not growing?

[Sweetpea3829]

He is otherwise healthy, is eating, drinking, and not really being picked on. His feathers are coming in quite nicely. So why is he not growing? It doesn't look like he's grown at all since he was born! He's the same age as the chick pictured with him.

Maybe this is important info to know...he was one of the first to pip and the last to hatch. His hatch was difficult and we assisted. Unfortunately, we had to be out of the house for the majority of that first day. We put him in the brood box with the other chicks and left. When we came back, he was in a corner of the box, away from the heat lamp, and he was cold. He was lethargic and unable to stand. We used a pipette to give him fluids and set him up in a small box within the brood box, but away from the other chicks. He slowly regained his strength, but it was a good three days before he could stand without toppling over.

I think it was the 4th day, he was strong enough to hold his own with the other chicks, so we put him in with them and he's been with them ever since. But he's just not growing!

He's not a bantam, and the eggs all came from a mennonite neighbor's hens.

They were born June 5th and 6th.

Will he eventually catch up, or is he always going to be runty?

Any ideas?

 

[Shades of Blue]

i just recently had chicks hatch out and one of mine stayed so small compared to the others for almost 3 weeks. I just noticed that she had a growth spurt and is now up to normal size. I am not sure why she stayed small for 3 weeks....but she seems good now. She didn't have the same struggle as yours at hatch....but I am sure yours will get going.

 

[Sweetpea3829]

Now...if he doesn't catch up and is always a lot smaller...does that make him a "bantam"? LOL, this is our first time.