Hi all, is it normal for hand reared chicks to be slow at getting fluff? By fluff I mean that downy stuff. I've never hand reared a chick this young before and it's going really well but I'm sure that my aivery bred chicks fluffed alot sooner than this. The chicks about 9 days old now.

As great we we are at hand raising, nothing beats a parent. If chicks take longer than usual to grow, feather up, all those normal things, it is usually due to some food/vitamin deficiency. Ensure your food mix is right.

Thanks Dave, I'm using 'Avione' hand rearer. I had to take the chick from the nest as the parents rejected it and it was nearly dead (very pale). I'm prety sure it has splaid legs but will wait a few more days to be sure before I try to fix it. Apart from the delay in development he seems to be doing very well and loves his tucker!! Will send some pictures when I figure out how to. I know That I'm not as good as a birdy parent but am already soo atatched to him, his like a real baby to me :budgiedance:

Some of my birds mature slower than others. I wouldnt be worried unless his growth is stunted and he does not grow at all.

The fact that you said the chick was near death and you brought it back and it is going good now means that it is not going to be growing/feathering up at the same rate as a normal chick. it will have some physical developmental delays, but it should catch up, it will just take longer. hang in there.

If you read any of the sites on hand raising larger birds most of them say how parents raised birds will fledge say week 5 and a hand raised will fledge week 7 (these are just approx numbers for this example)

 

This to me means that by handraising the chick we are slowing it's development rate. Not saying there is anything wrong with what you are doing but be prepared for this little guy to be behind his nest mates. Well done hope all consitnues to go well