# 2 "Stunted" baby chicks. Advice needed.



## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

Hi, I recently adopted 2 baby chicks that are suffering from stunted growth. That is what I was told by the guy who gave them to me. He has a small hatchery and on a visit last week-end he showed me the chicks and asked if I would take them on. We are trying to re-hab them and get them up to par. 
I already have a small flock of bantams. The new chicks will remain separate from the group until they are ready to be integrated.
Any advice from anyone who has re-habbed a stunted chick? I raised plenty of chicken, but have never seen this before. I felt so bad for the little guys I just couldn't say no.
We have named one Buzzard because her head had been pecked almost bald from her fellow brooder mates. They are super sweet. They eat well, drink and go to the bathroom just fine, they are just "stunted".
About 5 weeks old now, but only look the size of a week old chick. I want to do what is best for these little guys and get in them in fine shape fast.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Welcome to the forum. Your heart is in the right place, but taking on the responsibility of stunted birds is risky which can possibly infect other birds in your flock. There's a reason why one of the chicks was picked on, like 'Buzzard,' (good name by the way lol.) Other birds instinctively knew she was ill or defective and it is their way of eliminating sick birds from infecting others as they instinctively know it can attract predators.
Stunting can be caused by several things off the top of my head; malabsorption, viruses, and mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) which can be passed through eggs to embryo. All of these diseases are transmittable to other birds.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

One time I hatched some chicks and split them with my neighbor.One of hers never grew bigger than a 3wk old chick.It was sooo cute and could keep up with the big ones.It was a standard silver-laced Wyandotte but never got big.Unfortunately,my neighbor found her drowned in the horse's water trough 1 day.Her nazi,drunk daughter insisted on putting the trough next to her chicken pen.I told her I didn't think that was a good idea because they jump on things and if they fell in they had no way to get out.The trough was moved to the other end of the pasture.She had her horse on 3/4 acre and her hooves were so split and cracked she was in pain.Beautiful 1/4 horse and I felt so sorry for her.


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

Hi, thank you so much for your response. I understand. I am still hopeful that we are simply dealing with a nutritional deficiency. I have them on several supplements right now and they are starting to snap out of it already. They are already displaying more energy and bouncing around and chirping. I am also switching them to medicated feed right now. The guy who gave them to me never gave them medicated feed nor any supplements. Do you think it's possible they can pull out of this with proper nutrition and care? I know how malnutrition effects other animals, but I've never experienced it with chicks. This is a first for me. I've even re-habbed baby squirrels with great success so like I said, I remain hopeful. They certainly will not be joining my regular flock until I can determine if they are sick or just suffering from malnutrition.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

I had a stunted pea chick a few years ago and it had a gram negative bacterial infection in it's intestines, and the vet suggested that I give it Baytril. Any chance you could have a vet look at your chicks? If not, can you post some poop pictures?


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

Yes I can post some pics tonight! Thank you. Poop looks normal to me, but perhaps you will see something I don't. I do not have a vet in my area that does chickens unfortunately. I went through this same thing when I was re-habbing a baby squirrel (no vet would see him) and I ended up joining the squirrel forum and it saved his life. Thought i'd try my luck here first before looking elsewhere.
The guy who gave them to me was insistent they would come out of it with a little TLC. He said he's had stunted chicks before, but does not have the time right now to give them the extra care.


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

Can I get the Baytril without going to a vet? Is there an on-line company that sells this?


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

You can get any meds online without a script if you know where to look.

I would feed them a chick feed wet mash. Casportpony is right with the virus or infection but I'm not sure if I would try that first if they are eating and drinking normal. Try the wet mash.


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

Was this a very large batch of chicks they were from? Most of the stunted chicks I have here are just at the bottom of the pecking order in a large hatch and maybe not getting enough feed in them.... granted they're not _that_ stunted and grow fiercely when I separate them. I did once have a chick _that_ stunted in my first flock - Peanut. She was a Brahma I got from McMurray and never grew past what a month old would look like. Took her FOREVER to feather out too. I found her dead in the coop one morning after showing no symptoms other than stunted growth. She was maybe four or five months old at the time. I'm told now she could have had a congenital defect that caused this - a heart not quite working to capacity or something like that. I'll never know but I will say try not to get too attached. As others have said... stunted often means there's a serious problem, maybe even something hereditary in this line of birds. Sadly, you can't save them all... but good luck anyway!


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

Yes it was a very large batch. They were getting picked on badly. The guy Said he just didn't have the time to separate them and attend to them.


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

I will try this "wet mash" out. Thank you Karen.


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

I am unable to upload photos for some reason....


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

JRSherlock said:


> Yes I can post some pics tonight! Thank you. Poop looks normal to me, but perhaps you will see something I don't. I do not have a vet in my area that does chickens unfortunately. I went through this same thing when I was re-habbing a baby squirrel (no vet would see him) and I ended up joining the squirrel forum and it saved his life. Thought i'd try my luck here first before looking elsewhere.
> The guy who gave them to me was insistent they would come out of it with a little TLC. He said he's had stunted chicks before, but does not have the time right now to give them the extra care.


Post some poop pictures... try to get some of it's regular poops, and some of it's cecal poops.


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

I can't upload pics for some reason.... Help


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

Regular poop and cecal poop:


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

JRSherlock said:


> Can I get the Baytril without going to a vet? Is there an on-line company that sells this?


You can get it very easily, but I would not suggest giving it unless you were pretty darn sure you needed it. My chick was eating and drinking quite well, but it had abnormal poops.


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

casportpony said:


> Regular poop and cecal poop:


Yes, their poop is normal. Can't upload the pic for some reason. So if poop is normal, and they are eating and drinking normal would you assume it's malnutrition that I'm dealing with?


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

Have they grown since you have had them? If it's simple malnutrition they'll pick up and start growing to make up for lost time. For your sake I hope that's all it is.


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

WeeLittleChicken said:


> Have they grown since you have had them? If it's simple malnutrition they'll pick up and start growing to make up for lost time. For your sake I hope that's all it is.


Only had them for 72 hours, but have already seen an improvement in energy after proper food and nutritional supplements were given. How long should it take to see them really improve?


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

I hope this attachment works


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

little Buzzard


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

As you can see, they are small, but have fully feathered wings. They are super sweet and are getting more energy by the hour. I'm sure you can tell why we named Buzzard, Buzzard. LOL


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm going to suggest you keep doing what you're doing. If you're not seeing any obvious signs of distress then there really is nothing to worry about. They look to perfectly formed, eyes are bright, fully feathered. 

Any chance they are bantams and not large fowl? From the sounds of it the guy who had them had a few too many to keep track of. 

DO NOT add antibiotics. If there are no clinical signs of illness then there is zero reason to be tossing antibiotics at them.


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

Does medicated feed have antibiotics in it?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Most poultry feed does not, most chick feeds contain amprolium to keep control of over loads of coccidia. There is game bird starters out there that have bacitracin in it since, I think it's ducks, can not have amprolium.


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

robin416 said:


> I'm going to suggest you keep doing what you're doing. If you're not seeing any obvious signs of distress then there really is nothing to worry about. They look to perfectly formed, eyes are bright, fully feathered.
> 
> Any chance they are bantams and not large fowl? From the sounds of it the guy who had them had a few too many to keep track of.
> 
> DO NOT add antibiotics. If there are no clinical signs of illness then there is zero reason to be tossing antibiotics at them.


Yes they are Bantams and yes the guy had MANY. These 2 just slipped through the cracks and were getting picked on and not allowed to eat.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

JRSherlock said:


> Yes they are Bantams and yes the guy had MANY. These 2 just slipped through the cracks and were getting picked on and not allowed to eat.


There's your answer. You never mentioned they were banty's. They were simply at the bottom of the pecking order and wernt allowed to eat by others higher up in the pecking order. 
Keep feeding them as you're doing and they'll be fine.


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

dawg53 said:


> There's your answer. You never mentioned they were banty's. They were simply at the bottom of the pecking order and wernt allowed to eat by others higher up in the pecking order.
> Keep feeding them as you're doing and they'll be fine.


Oh thank you so much! I thought I did say they were bantams in my first post, but looks like I only mentioned that our current flock are bantams.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

robin416 said:


> Most poultry feed does not, most chick feeds contain amprolium to keep control of over loads of coccidia. There is game bird starters out there that have bacitracin in it since, I think it's ducks, can not have amprolium.


*All* waterfowl *can* have amprolium and/or bacitracin. The "don't feed medicated feed to ducks" comes from years ago before they started using amprolium.

http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/11/can-medicated-feed-be-used-for.html

From Purina


> Originally Posted by DrMikelleRoeder
> 
> Hi Kathy -
> 
> ...


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## JRSherlock (Jul 1, 2016)

Ok, so they still haven't grown really. They seem happy though. Not sure what to do or how long this should take....


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I really wouldn't worry about it if they appear to be fine. Just enjoy their difference.


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

As long as that's their only issue I wouldn't worry too much about it. Might take them a bit to catch up nutritionally. Also I think bantams grow slower, or at least it feels like they do. If they grow anything like that last batch I had you'll get up one morning and wonder who switched your birds out with larger ones.


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