barmaid2011 Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I got 3 Light Sussex on Easter Sunday - I was told they were all 18/19 weeks old. Two of them have grown to be quite big birds - although they are not laying yet their crests and wattles have gone a really deep pink and I think they may not be far off. Maggie Chook I took to be the youngest bird. She hardly had a crest at all and it doesn't seem to have grown - its still pale pink. In terms of body size, she is far smaller than the others and doesn't seem to be putting on much weight. However, she is the naughtiest, cutest and cheekiest bird there is and follows me everywhere. She is also quite bossy and has put my four cats well and truly in their place. I've checked her for pests and there seems to be no problem, she seems to poo quite normally but she is just so small and doesn't really look like a proper chicken without her crest. She eats and drinks quite normally but is just not getting any bigger (although this could be that she is the most active of my three girls). When my dad saw her for the first time yesterday he asked me if she was OK!!! Do you think she will grow (and is just a slow starter) or is there something I should be looking out for? Or is a trip to the vets on the cards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 When I had my first three I had one like that, she did catch up but was a couple of months behind the others, after a few months they were all the same size its possible she is from a younger batch maybe? The other thing that springs to mind is are you sure the other two arent males? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 She could be a bantam of the same breed. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmaid2011 Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share Posted July 3, 2011 To update this thread - the others are now laying regularly. Little Mags is half the weight of the biggest bird. They are all wormed and checked for pests, and although she has grown a little bit she still has no crest and wattles. Any ideas, please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfer_chicken Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 She definitely doesn't sound to me like she's POL, or at least not the same age as the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 She sounds like a little poppet. It sounds like she was just much, much younger than the others. When did your other two start laying? Do you have any pics of her and the others, maybe as they were when you got them and how they are now? I;m just thinking that might help people confirm this is likely to be the case. Are they pure breeds or are they sussex hybrids? Reason for asking is that the pure breeds can sometimes take longer to come into lay than hybrids, and it can vary a lot between individual birds within the same breed. My personal record is a Welsummer who didn't lay her first egg until she was 40 weeks old. I'm sure it's going to be that she was just very young when you got her. If she's otherwise looking healthy and is eating and pooing normally, then there isn't likely to be anything to worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
