This baby is 5 weeks old now and it hardly has feathers or pins

[Birblover7]

Should we be concerned? The baby itself is strong, it’s loud and it runs around and holds its head high
We had an incident where the parents stopped feeding them because another pair kicked them out, so we had to hand feed them for a couple days, but after we moved them to another room the parents picked it up again
The babies were almost never plum full and could be seen almost empty several times a day
one of the babies is perfectly healthy fully feathered and flying now and the other sibling is inbetween the two
We moved the baby with almost no feathers to the other parents nest and they are feeding it far better

 

[Birblover7]

This is the healthy sibling

 

[Sparkles99]

@BrianB @Laurie @Irishj9

I forget the username of the fourth breeder. Very annoying. I always forget one. Hopefully one of these three can offer advice. The contrast between the two is stark.

 

[April]

Oh wow that is quite a dramatic difference. I'm curious as to if anyone has any ideas. He or she is so adorable though

 

[Shezbug]

@Matto @Zara @Mockinbirdiva might be helpful here too

 

[Kiwi's Dad]

What a cutie!

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

What a difference in these two chicks from the same clutch. I really can’t offer a suggestion as to why the development between the two is so drastic. Was it the last chick to hatch and if so how many days after the feather sibling did it hatch? I hope you kept a record of the hatch dates. If you have a scale that weighs in grams I would weigh this chick daily- same time first thing in the morning and chart the growth. From what I can see in this photo the shape of the head looks a little abnormal…. Though I have never bred cockatiels still, it looks abnormal so there could be an underlying health issue/ birth defect. Thankfully, you have another pair you fostered this chick over to that will feed the chick for you. What supplemental foods are you giving your breeding birds? Are you a breeder and how many pairs do you have? If this pair produced yet one more chick with an abnormality I would not breed them again.

 

[BrianB]

I’ve seen this happen a few times and can never figure out what causes it. Sometimes the chicks don’t make it and sometimes they carry on looking like a naked chicken and then they just explode in feathers and catch up. When looking at the adults you can’t tell they were delayed in developing at all. Just make sure the little one is well fed and hydrated. If you’re going to take over hand feeding maybe give it a little protein boost and see if that helps it along. Put a small amount of peanut butter in the hand feeding formula. Dissolve it in the hot water first before you add the formula. That way you don’t get any clumps in it. My birds have never liked the taste so I can get away with it just once but it helps. Make sure the peanut butter doesn’t have any artificial sweeteners added to it.

 

[Pixiebeak]

My times stunting can be related to a low grade infection. I would get a vet check and crop swab, fecal.

I know he isn't "acting " sick . But every case I've seen was.

I held off posting because other have much greater experience with chick's. And I wanted learn other causes for this.

He us cute ! Those head sprouts!!!!

 

[Irishj9]

He certainly looks plump and healthy. But I agree the difference to the other chick is concerning. hes big enough now for a vet check

 

[Pixiebeak]

He certainly looks plump and healthy. But I agree the difference to the other chick is concerning. hes big enough now for a vet check

When they dont look sick , its more often yeast overgrowth stealing the nutrients..in one's I've had experience with...usually one or the other. But definitely worth ruling out in my opinion.
They often really catch up quick once infection is dealt with.

 

[Pixiebeak]

You can Google using the term stunting .

Hand Rearing: Young Birds and Stunting

Stunting is a common disease with young birds and can be fatal if left untreated. Fortunately, there are a number of home remedies and treatments to help get your bird back on track.

codylwrites.com

 

[Xoetix]

Should we be concerned? The baby itself is strong, it’s loud and it runs around and holds its head high
We had an incident where the parents stopped feeding them because another pair kicked them out, so we had to hand feed them for a couple days, but after we moved them to another room the parents picked it up again
The babies were almost never plum full and could be seen almost empty several times a day
one of the babies is perfectly healthy fully feathered and flying now and the other sibling is inbetween the two
We moved the baby with almost no feathers to the other parents nest and they are feeding it far better
View attachment 420743

I would be wildly interested in following the progress along! He’s the cutest little naked chicken I ever did see, and I’m super fascinated by he situation!

 

[Birblover7]

They were about 2 days apart each, but I didn’t keep track of which came first. I do believe I see tiny pins under his skin coming up, so that’s good. I’ve noticed he’s very loud. He seems more energetic than his siblings, even though he’s behind. I’ll send pictures of him on Friday so you can see how he’s progressed.

 

[Emma&pico]

Love to see updates

 

[Pixiebeak]

have you gotten a vet check? I really urge you to

 

[Xoetix]

How’s the little nudist doing this week?

 

[Kiwi's Dad]

How's your little one doing?

 

[Birblover7]

Apologies for being late! It’s feathers are almost completely in! It’s doing great!

 

[Xoetix]

Aw yay!

That happened quick!