[roddycm]

Or in this case the slow growing chinese gosling!

I have six chinese goslings all about 6 weeks old now, full siblings. They are all grwoing very well except one who is about half the size of the others and while all the others are getting their wing feathers she is still covered in down! Seems healthy otherwise... just wondering if there is anything I can do to help her along.

She was the last one born and the mother had left the nest so I hatched her with the help of a hot water bottle... she has always been very healthy she is just small. I really want to give her a boost to help her along her merry little way.

Any ideas gratefully received!

[doganjo]

If she is eating as mucy as she can, and doing what ducklings do then I doubt you c n do more.  Just make sure she is kept warm in this weather and don't let her swim yet.  If they don't have their feathers they get very wet and cold.

[Possum]

If she is small, is she being pushed out of the way when it comes to food? You might need to feed her separately to make sure that she gets all she needs.

[Marches Farmer]

Watch for her being bullied and, if it happens, separate her into a space where she can see and be seen by the others but not pecked.  If there's something wrong on the outside there's often something wrong on the inside, too.

[roddycm]

I live in Argentina so currently between 28 to 38 c most days they have a shallow kids pool to swim and cool off in. I think she is a late bloomer... she hasn't caught up but she has started getting her feathers and she is more robust. She always has a full crop I guess it's just the way she is haha my mother thought that I wouldn't grow when I was about 14 15 and was worried as my family are all tall and then suddenly I shot up and now I'm 6'2... maybe she imprinted too much and takes after me hahaha