Advice needed-To cull or not to cull

[Chicken411]

My cornish x chicks will be 4 weeks on Tuesday. I have one chick who has a lump on it's neck and has never been able to lift it's head up very high or turn it's head from one side. So far it has still done well and been eating and drinking and growing with the rest of them. The past few days it has started to have a very difficult time walking, mostly appearing to be a balance issue. Today is really bad, the chick stumbles all over the place and keeps falling over. I recently switched feeders so they have to stand to feed and this is making it more difficult on this chick. It eats fine if the food and water are low to the ground, so the chick can just lay there and eat. It struggles to stand and eat losing it's balance after a minute and falling to the ground exhausted. I'm not sure if I should move it into a seperate box so I can feed it to a decent weight or just put it out of it's misery now. Maybe it is getting weaker from not being able to get enough food? I am not excited about this, I have never processed a chicken. I don't know if I can do it, especially when I haven't mentally prepared myself for it.


Thoughts or opinions? I really think it might continue to grow if given the opportunity to have easy access to feed.

Thanks

 

[Big Red's Mom]

Are you gonna process the others? If so then just put it in a pen alone and feed and water it with lower access. If it continues to weaken...I guess you have a practice bird....I don't mean it bad I have never eaten one of my birds but I have them for eggs and pets. But if I did get to the point of trying that it is what I would do.....Good luck....

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
Since it's condition is deteriorating I would process it ASAP . I'm a little hardened by the fact I grew up eating meat we raised . Butchering this Cornish hen may help condition you for processing the rest . If you can't do it , you're going to have to find someone to do your others , it may be best to find that out now .