day old chick with serious scissor beak, only one eye, what to do ?

[crysmom]

I hatched 13 chicks in my incubator hatch started 24 hours ago and 12 chicks were out withing 12 hours and there was one egg left with just a pip
I took all the rowdys' out of the bator and decided to help the egg with the pip

in the end hatched out a big chick with lots of energy, but serious scissor beak

he probably wouldn't have gotten out of the shell if I hadn't helped which I think would have been better, but he's out now

can chicks with scissor beak eat? why does this deformity happen? should we just put him down?

 

[crysmom]

oh no he only has one eye

 

[silkiechicken]

Yep, birth defect. I've even gotten one with it's brain on the outside of it's skull. I say it is best to cull it now while you still can and are not too attached.

 

[k625]

I am so sorry, that is so sad. I wanted to know...I am thinking of getting a incubator for xmas, (new to chickens) and in a situation like this, I know cull means to kill, but how do you do that? Taking it to the vet would cost alot of money, so just curious in case something like this ever happens to me?

 

[silkiechicken]

If under a week or so you just take a pair of scissors and cut off the head. If you don't want to see it just put it in a trash bag with scissors in place and go "snip." Remove scissors and dispose of bag. I have also just pulled their heads off at that age but be sure to do it quick because you don't want to just tear skin and not actually remove the head. I say go with SHARP scissors method.

 

[Katy]

You can also soak a cloth with ether (starter fluid) and put the rag and chick in a container with a snug fitting lid. That's my method of choice. I don't think I could do the scissor thing...with or without looking.

 

[seminolewind]

Crysmom, if you can't do the deed, see if a friend will do it for you. Or go to a vet. I really hate saying it, but the scissor method seems the most humane.

 

[silkiechicken]

I agree, putting things to "sleep" by replacing oxygen is basically suffocating them to death.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Before you do anything rash, is there anything else wrong with it...Is he eating and pooping and peeping like the others. If he's just laying like a lump, then I'd say to cull.

 

[speckledhen]

I think your decision should probably be based on whether or not it can have a good quality of life and if you are willing to do what the bird needs to give it that. I was given a very crook-necked chick that Ideal sent to the feedstore that should never have been put in the box. After taking her home and observing her and examining her for several days, I determined that it was a skeletal deformity and that she would never be able to compete for food or roost and would always have to concentrate not to walk in circles. We elected to put her down.