Can I fix this chick or should I humanely cull it?

[Isaiah53]

This little chick struggled so hard to hatch and when it finally did its beak is very crooked it likely won't be able to eat. Any way this can be fixed or should I humanely cull it?

So sad to see this.

 

[Isaiah53]

 

[Kaybear1950]

Has he been able to eat or drink by himself? My mother in law had a chick like this that was able to eat and drink properly and lived a good life with no issues. His beak was not nearly as dislocated as your picture though.

 

[Punkybrewster]

That beak is pretty extreme. I personally would cull. A chick with a slight cross beak is able to manage but one that is that bad really doesnt have a quality of life and will have to be fed by you its whole life. It will not improve. This is only my opinion.

 

[Isaiah53]

Has he been able to eat or drink by himself? My mother in law had a chick like this that was able to eat and drink properly and lived a good life with no issues. His beak was not nearly as dislocated as your picture though.

Too young to tell, it just hatched...hasn't eaten anything yet.

 

[lazy gardener]

Isaiah, I'd cull if it were in my flock. Scissor beak involves not just the beak, but the skull. The deformity you see now is likely to get worse over time as the chick grows.

 

[lazy gardener]

I can't tell, but are both eyes present?

 

[Isaiah53]

That beak is pretty extreme. I personally would cull. A chick with a slight cross beak is able to manage but one that is that bad really doesnt have a quality of life and will have to be fed by you its whole life. It will not improve. This is only my opinion.

It is really bad. I was wondering if there was a way to realign it with tape or something similar to what we'd do with splayed feet, but my guess is no. I think you're right, the humane thing to do would be to cull it. Poor thing now I understand why it struggled so hard to get out of the shell, he couldn't peck through properly with that beak.

 

[Isaiah53]

I can't tell, but are both eyes present?

Oh, my goodness, I just took a second look and no, it doesn't have a left eye!!

 

[Isaiah53]