3 week old chick - crossbeak / scissor beak getting severe - euthanasia?e

[Livingskies]

Yes, these were incubator chicks, which also was a HUGE learning curve mainly because I learned thermometers are completely unreliable. I ended up with 5 thermometers desperately stuffed in there, and halfway through learned about using my kids' infrared forehead one on them. So that's what we did for the last half. We lost a lot of embryos . Our hatch rate was a dismal 23%. Out of our 7 successful chicks, lightning is the only one with a deformity.

Although, one of the others didn't have much down and he is kind of a baldie (Pip). His feathers seem to be coming in normally though. He was also the one who had yolky looking stuff left in his shell. I posted about that in desperation around the hatch time. It has definitely been a learning experience, more for me than the kids

I even did an assist for our last chick (Sunny) who had pipped 24 hours earlier but wasn't progressing. Like a newbie, I accidentally picked off the foot end of the shell instead of the head end, so she had nothing to push against, so I ended up taking off the head end of the shell too. ‍ She had a slightly bloody navel, but it clotted right away on its own and healed completely within a couple days. She is doing marvelously now. Lucked out there

I really want to do another hatch to apply all I learned and try to get at least an 85% hatch rate.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I cannot unfortunately keep chickens in my backyard due to city bylaws. The chicks are inside our bedroom and must find new homes.

I really want to do another hatch to apply all I learned and try to get at least an 85% hatch rate.

I'm not trying to stir things up here. I do understand wanting to learn, but I don't understand wanting to hatch more if you are not allowed to keep any chickens due to city laws. Do you think you will always luck up and find a buyer?

 

[Livingskies]

I'm not trying to stir things up here. I do understand wanting to learn, but I don't understand wanting to hatch more if you are not allowed to keep any chickens due to city laws. Do you think you will always luck up and find a buyer?

My question was more about euthanasia for the crossbeak. I am not having problems finding a home for the healthy ones.

I have a friend at work who wants me to hatch laying hens for her. She was originally going to take everything I hatched but her contact for butchering the roos for meat has fallen through so she doesn't want the boys anymore. I think the crossbeak might be a girl but she doesn't want to deal with a special needs chicken. I have options for the 2 I think might beroos but... Ya know... I'm trying to be picky to look for a "good" home. I actually have 3 other people lined up wanting hatched pullets as soon as they are off the heat lamp. But didn't have a successful enough hatch to give girls to everyone.

The breeder I got these eggs from has acquired some silkies and is interested in having me hatch for her. She will raise them to 6 months and sell them as laying hens. I'm not sure her plans for the roos.

 

[aart]

which also was a HUGE learning curve mainly because I learned thermometers are completely unreliable.

Indeed it is! ...and yes, accurate therms are the most important aspect and the most common error for newbies. Maintaining air temp is better than egg temp, IMO.

I really want to do another hatch to apply all I learned

These are excellent reads before your next hatch, save them to your notes.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-beginners-guide-to-incubation.73350/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My question was more about euthanasia for the crossbeak. I am not having problems finding a home for the healthy ones.

I have a friend at work who wants me to hatch laying hens for her. She was originally going to take everything I hatched but her contact for butchering the roos for meat has fallen through so she doesn't want the boys anymore. I think the crossbeak might be a girl but she doesn't want to deal with a special needs chicken. I have options for the 2 I think might beroos but... Ya know... I'm trying to be picky to look for a "good" home. I actually have 3 other people lined up wanting hatched pullets as soon as they are off the heat lamp. But didn't have a successful enough hatch to give girls to everyone.

The breeder I got these eggs from has acquired some silkies and is interested in having me hatch for her. She will raise them to 6 months and sell them as laying hens. I'm not sure her plans for the roos.

Yes, I know the original question was about the cross beaked chick, I think you got some good answers about that. You may end up finding someone willing to take him as a pet, you never know (you would not want to breed him).

That's fantastic that you have takers lined up. Hatching for a friend and the breeder sounds great! Some people do hatch for others, so if there's enough interest and you could keep that going somehow, you may have a small side line biz, probably not much money, but yet another tool that can be used with your homeschooling (economics, profit/loss, etc. ) I'm sure you could get really creative with that.

I do hope you can find him a home, but I have to agree with the others, I would cull instead of re-home.

 

[Livingskies]

My air temps were 99.5-100 and humidity 60% for days 0-10 very consistently, but we lost over half the live embryos (candled, did eggtopsies). I took the eggshell temps at this time and they were 102-103. I dropped the heat to 100-101 eggshell and our losses stabilized although we did lose a few more after that too. There were a lot of malpositioned despite having been turned, and blunt end higher (they were horizontal in cupcake cups). I read this could be from fluctuating or too high temps during the incubation.

Yeah, I don't think incubating chicks will make us money, lol, but if we get some or most of our costs back we are really enjoying them. And they are going to homes we can visit them at, so far.

 

[Attila the Hen]

So you hatched them in an incubator? Lots of 'learning fodder' in this endeavor and it's results. Were there other chicks?

Might try asking here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/canadians-check-in-here.144/page-472

Thanks. I wondered about the creamed corn. I’ll put in less until he can eat better which I’m hoping will happen. Maybe? Time will tell. Fresh corn is in season so that helps.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

and humidity 60% for days 0-10 very consistently

That's way too high of humidity. I suggest trying "dry hatch"... and aiming for closer to 45% humidity for days 1-18. Then up to about 65% for hatch.

One of my favorite hatching resources, in case it wasn't previously posted... reasons for failure according to what day they quit starts around page 52...
Incubation guide

However, if euthanizing the deformities that hatch is going to be an issue... I would suggest NOT hatching.

Best wishes on your many adventures!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks. I wondered about the creamed corn. I’ll put in less until he can eat better which I’m hoping will happen. Maybe? Time will tell. Fresh corn is in season so that helps.

Corn, even fresh is NOT a complete chicken feed regardless of season. I would put NONE and just wet the chick starter feed and/or make sure the dishes are deep enough for scooping as suggested by those that keep cross beaks.

Corn by itself is a treat with only about 7% protein. Chicks require about 22% protein. Diminishing nutrients of an already challenged chick will not help them.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thanks. I wondered about the creamed corn. I’ll put in less until he can eat better which I’m hoping will happen. Maybe? Time will tell. Fresh corn is in season so that helps.

I have a cross beak bird as do several others that have responded. My birds cross is considered minor.
I cannot stress enough how important it is that you follow EggSighted's advice.
My bird would definitely not have survived on a mainly corn diet.
Personal experience with birds fed mainly corn.... Several years ago I took in 6 hens that were fed 80% of their diet as corn the first year of life. None were decent layers and all died young.
An improper diet has lasting ill effects.

Corn, even fresh is NOT a complete chicken feed regardless of season. I would put NONE and just wet the chick starter feed and/or make sure the dishes are deep enough for scooping as suggested by those that keep cross beaks.

Corn by itself is a treat with only about 7% protein. Chicks require about 22% protein. Diminishing nutrients of an already challenged chick will not help them.

I agree 1000%.
High quality feed and deep dishes really help with cross beak birds.
The wet mash likely saved my bird from starvation.