3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[kittyl]

My 5 pekin chicks are 5 weeks old tomorrow, but compared to pics of others I've seen they're too

small, & not enough feathers. The 2 biggest are getting there, but the other 3 are very small with only

wing feathers, the smallest is wearing a bald patch under its crop where it sits.

I weighed them this am - 275g/270g/230g/230g & 200g so I can keep a check.

Their broody mum Bibble was given Ivermec for her scaley leg inf a week ago, & after lots of research

on it I decided to give each chick a tiny drop of ivermec in the hope of ridding them of any worms/mites

that may be affecting their growth, after 2 days nothing seems to be showing in their poop.

They seem lively, they're eating crumb with a few growers pellets in now, & a few treats, they have small

grit & water with cv. I dont leave them food at night, should I?

Can anyone suggest anything else that may affect them growing?

Bibble should be leaving them next week but without feathers they need her to snuggle up to, I'm

not sure what to do next.

[Tweety]

How much are you giving them in the way of treats? I would stop the treats altogether for now, the chick crumb and growers pellets provide all the nutrition they need, and maybe they are not eating as much of this as they should be.

[miller30]

My pekin bantam chicks are nearly 5 weeks old and they too are very small and a couple only have feathers on their wings im not worried i think they are just tiny chicks i know 2 are deffo boys when they hatched they looked like bumble bees leanne

[Guest]

my 2 pekin chicks are now 6-7 weeks old and they have only featherd up on there wings

 

iv red somewhere that if there raised by a broody then they grow alot slower

[CatsCube]

That could make sense, the chicks I have indoors have feathered loads, all the wings, tails and backs now nearly there, just heads necks and tummies to go and they only 2 and a half weeks old, however the ones in the run with Matilda do seem to be a bit behind.

[Tweety]

That's really interesting. My chicks were hatched and grown indoors, and were almost fully feathered by 5 weeks of age, so maybe it does have something to do with them being outside with a mummy hen.

[Redwing]

extra heat and light may well help although the days are so long at the moment it seems that light probably shouldnt be a problem

 

The theory being that they dont have to use energy trying to keep warm (and the weather has been so variable recently) and longer days mean they spend more time eating

 

Cut out everything apart from crumb and water for now too maybe

[kittyl]

That makes me feel a bit better, but it doesnt explain why 3 of them are so much further behind than

the others, one possibility is genetic I spose, the eggs came from 2 different hens. There is also

the 6th chick, who is a mystery black bantam, the last to hatch but almost fully feathered with

huge long wings - (we couldnt weigh her, she's hard to catch & impossible to hold) She has had all

the same feed etc but has developed faster & has a big healthy looking orange comb.

I really hope the 3 tiddlies grow some feathers before Bibble gives up on them. one of them I'm

particularly fond of, though I have a feeling its a boy he loves being held & will snuggle down in

my hand & rest his head on my finger, he dopy looking eyes & his neck fluff sticks out like a mane.

(Thats another reason they need to grow up abit, to stop me spending so much time playing with them!)

[kittyl]

Oops, made a boob yesterday, the old raised coop is still in the WIR where Bibble & the chicks are,

I gave it a thorough cleanout recently & had left the door open. When I shut the chicks up last night

I didnt realise Bibble & Pip (the little bantam chick) had gone to roost in the old coop. 5.30 am she

was shrieking in the run (she's so loud!) & when I let the chicks out she started pecking at them,

especially the 2 big ones. It was sad to see them cower & try to hide under her at the same time.

They're still quite clingy with her, should I try & keep her in there a bit longer? I'm afraid that once I

start letting her out with the other hens, she'll reject the chicks completely.

[miller30]

Hi when they start to peck the chicks its time for them to leave as sometimes they can get a bit nasty its sad because the chicks cant understand why their mums dont want them anymore but they will soon get over it leanne

[Guest]

broodys know best we humans always think we know better if shes had enough of them then take her advice let her rejoin the main flock if shes had enough of them then at means the chicks dont need heat and can look after them selfs it dont seem nice but its nature if your other girls are quite chilled out then let her and her chicks in the main run (she will look after them)

 

this might be abit large but dont know how to resize it

http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa468/petchickens/DSCF1179.jpg

the chicks cheeping to mum (the buff pekin) but the lavender pekin baby sitting them

http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa468/petchickens/DSCF1174.jpg

Edited June 23, 2011 by Guest

[kittyl]

thanks for the replies, it turned out ok, they all made up & cuddled back up together! I think they need

a bit longer with mum. I let Bibble wander with the other hens for a while, but they jumped on her, a bit

disapointing as they've been talking through the fence the whole while. so she's back with the chicks now.

The chicks have definately improved since having the Ivermectin, their combs

are looking better, more feathers are coming & they're growing noticably every day, so

whatever they had I reckon its gone now!