Chick not growing!

bevdrury

bevdrury

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One of my seven chicks is half the size of the others. They are four weeks old and getting their feathers but he looks about two weeks. Yesterday evening I went to shut them up at about 5pm and he was just on the floor on his own. Mum had taken the others in and left him. :cry:
I picked him up and he was cold and had his eyes closed. His breathing was laboured. I put him down my bra and, as I was going to friends for dinner, took him with me!!
Within an hour he was alert and chirping. When I got home I popped him under mum and left the heat lamp on in the shed. At 4am I went down to check and he was fine.
He seems to be eating and drinking ok. Why is he so small and do you think he will survive? They are all the same batch so I know he's not a different breed. Any ideas? Thanks :)
 
Possibly the weakest and being crowded off the feed Bev. May be getting shoved out from under mum as well. Perhaps worth taking him to one side for a few moments and making certain he is eating and pooing properly. Perhaps last night he was trampled in the rush for the coop? Obviously he wouldn't survive a night outside.
 
chickens 200.jpg

I thought I'd put this photo on to demonstrate just how underdeveloped he is. Next to him is his sister.
He sits down most of the day too which is very odd. His poos are normal and he has access to food and water.He keeps falling asleep and is not very lively, although he has had a dust bath just now.
I don't hold out too much hope for him! :(
I do hope he survives as he is going back to Philcott in a few weeks time. He is my only Wybar cockerel which she has agreed to take back.
 
Perhaps his digestive system isn't functioning correctly. You could try a spot of probiotic natural yoghurt? I swear by it, as others do. Some don't, so the jury is out on the benefits. But Beryls Tonic is a probiotic mix and the vet I spoke to said it was essential treatment after antibiotics. Otherwise perhaps it's an internal organ development problem.
 
I had a chick like this last year. She was so so much smaller than the others and never really developed she used to sleep with one of the others and hide under them. Unfortunately I lost her I never did find out what was the reason for her slow growth. I hope your chick has a better outcome.
 
Well he is still alive but not growing. He holds his head to one side and seems to have trouble coordinating his movements which makes feeding very difficult! The others are bombing about which means he is forever getting knocked over. :(
It's so sad to watch and I know it would be kinder to despatch him but I can't do it. I wonder if he has had some sort of oxygen starvation at some point. He is kept in with mum and the others now and I have a heat lamp on 24/7. Don't know what else I can do. :-)19
 
I hatched a batch of 6 2 weeks ago and it was a difficult hatch due to incubator not working properly.

Anyway, 2 had it really tough, I had to help all but 1 of the 6 of them out, but one was stuck in the shell and one I helped out a bit too soon. The one that was a bit early really struggled the first day or two, and it has been slower than the others in growing but it has soldered on.

It looks healthy and is very active. Could be as they are in a brooding box and not with a hen they are all helping each other out? I did notice that the stronger ones were constantly encouraging the weaker 2 and were grooming their down (sp?).

I was told that the first 7 days will determine whether the chick makes it or not. Not helpful I know but thought I would share my own experience.
 
Thanks for your replies. :)
What would that mean Chris? Will he die anyway? It's heartbreaking cos he's so gorgeous . It's as though he has just stopped growing. The others are fully feathered little hooligans , and then there is my poor little chap.
I guess i'll just have to let nature take its course :(
 
Some are runts for whatever reason and never catch up. Some live for a long time then suddenly die. If the chick appears healthy and is not suffering in any way, I'd just leave him/her to live life as usual.
 
Well he died this morning. :cry:
I went down at 6am and he was just taking his last few breaths.I held him but knew it was hopeless. I'm glad in a way as he was never going to be right.
Didn't stop me blubbing like a baby though!!
 
Sorry to hear about the chick!! Nothing sadder than losing a chick!

Last year, we had a hen go broody and hatch a few on her own. We have a couple of hens that always escape the run to lay elsewhere despite the fence being 6ft high. Anyway, last year, one hen disappeared (we thought a fox got her) only for her to emerge from some undergrowth nearly a month later with a young chick in tow. We discovered a weaker one was kicked to the side and died.

A week later and after naming the chick Geoffrey, both hen and chick disappeared. Foxy had got them both. Sad times!!
 
Sorry to hear that Bev. You knew it would happen but I know it doesn't lessen the blow. How are all the others?
 
Thank you so much for your messages. I guess its nice to talk to like minded people who understand. I'm sure my friends think I'm potty. :-)07
The other chicks all seem fine and are growing well. I will be keeping two girls (a Welbar and a Wybar). The others will be going back to Philcotts Poultry as they are rare breeds and I wouldn't know where to start trying to sell them. She is also taking the two remaining boys so I'm happy! :lol:
 
Sorry to hear about your loss, we had one that sounds exactly the same, he made it to 11 weeks and then died in my arms last week :( like you, we all blubbed xxx
 
To those who have had a chick that does not grow like the others - do not give up hope.
I had a Pekin, cuckoo, exactly the same. He was about one third of the size of his sisters and brothers, my granddaughters called him Topple, but he WAS healthy and lively, just unbelievably tiny.
He was well named, every time the others rushed by, he was knocked over. However, the funny thing was nobody picked on him, or bothered him, he was just part of the pack.
At about 12 weeks he suddenly started to grow, and in a very short time was almost normal sized, so it can happen.
As I said, though, he was not ill or ailing, just miniscule.
 
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