Why is one of my chicks so much bigger than the others!?

[TheDirtyLawyer]

I have three Russian Orloff chicks that are 1 week old and we think the smallest one might be a rooster based on his slower feathering. One of the other two is much bigger with much longer thicker legs. Is it common for such a drastic size difference so early on?

 

[azygous]

Chicks come in all sizes. It doesn't necessarily indicate gender. Sometimes a larger chick will mature to be a larger size adult. Same goes for the petites. I've had tiny chicks grow into small adults, and the petite hens will often push out the largest eggs.

Also, chickens are not full grown at six months or even a year. The second year, almost all grow and fill out and achieve larger mass.

 

[TheDirtyLawyer]

Chicks come in all sizes. It doesn't necessarily indicate gender. Sometimes a larger chick will mature to be a larger size adult. Same goes for the petites. I've had tiny chicks grow into small adults, and the petite hens will often push out the largest eggs.

Also, chickens are not full grown at six months or even a year. The second year, almost all grow and fill out and achieve larger mass.

Thanks for the feedback!