Deformed chick

[poniesforever]

As some of you know, I recently had my first batch of eggs hatch from the incubator... first timer ever for me. Out of 30 eggs, 21 hatched.Salmon faverolles, and Light Bramahs, and one Ameraucana are in the 21 that have hatched.

I believe this deformed chick is a Salmon Faverolle, hatched yesterday, in the evening. Have any of you seen anything like this before? It was born with a twisted beak, and only one eye. The side of its face, where an eye should be, is concaved a bit. I am not sure yet, if there is a hole where the eye should have been, or if its sealed over. but there is no eye there. It took a long time for it to hatch out. But it made it. I have it in with the others, I have dunked its beak in water a few times, and it seems to be drinking when I do that. I am not at all sure if it will be able to eat. I haven't had time to sit and watch it yet. It can see with its one eye tho. and gets around pretty well. Any thoughts??? Do you think it'll live??? I don't mind having a deformed chicken, I just am wondering if it will even survive. or be able to eat...? Opinions, thoughts or ideas welcomed!

 

[Pele]

I'm sorry about the hard hatch. The baby's beak is pretty badly deformed, and will interfere with eating when he tries to do it. Unless you are interested in hand-feeding, I don't believe he'll make it.

Small deformities in the beak can be overcome with deeper dishes. Something like that will only worsen as the skull grows. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

 

[poniesforever]

Interesting. I'm okay with whatever happens. This is nature's doing, not mine. But I'm so new to the world of chickens, I didn't know what to expect. I appreciate straight forward and honest answers. Thank you for that. He's a cute little fellow, but, if he can't eat by himself, this is how nature is... the strong survive. I kept saying, I don't know if he'll make it. I didn't know the deformity would worsen with growth. I will remember that.

Thank you.

 

[poniesforever]

Oh one more thing... are deformities fairly common in chickens? or is it a total freak thing that I happened to have, one of very few, in my batch...?

 

[gabrielle1976]

I don't have any answers for you. But I'm not sure you will have to hand feed you can try smashing chick starter up finer one see if he can eat it that way or wet it down to a gruel consistency as you think he can drink. If he isn't in pain. IE huddling by himself and not doing anything or constantly crying no matter what you do and can eat and drink no reason not to let him have a good chicken lite just don't breed him incase its genetically passable to how offspring

 

[Habibs Hens]

Oh one more thing... are deformities fairly common in chickens? or is it a total freak thing that I happened to have, one of very few, in my batch...?

defomaties are common only in chicken parents that are too old or related

as long as the parents are strong young and healthy and a good diet and not related will deformaties be to a bare min to almost none

 

[poniesforever]

Thank you all for your help. I think I saw him eating... at least it looked like he was eating tonight. He is getting around pretty well. and huddles with the others. I did see one chick picking on him a bit once. But there are always a few who pick at others. I am keeping an eye on him /her for now. All of the faverolle chicks are a bit smaller then the bramahs. But a couple of days should tell me if this chick is going to make it or not. He actually gets around better then the one I found stuck on its back between two eggs. So these two are in question about if they'll survive or not. But right now, he is doing alright. At least it looks alright. It can run and bounce over the others, as well as most others do. We'll see I guess. I certainly have never seen such a thing. I have no idea if its parents were related or not. I know my brother in law ordered his salmon faverolles through the mail... and this chick is from them. So who knows. Sure is weird. But seems like if he can scoop his beak in far enough to the feed, he could get some food into him.

I have to make a correction... 23 of the 30 eggs hatched! I guess thats pretty good odds..?

 

[yo burrill]

From what I have read about these chicks they cant eat enough food to survive on their own when this severe. Most chicks are born with a normal looking beak and they get worse as they get older this one is starting out with a severe deformity. It may look okay now but it is still digesting the yolk. In a few days Im sure you will see it lagging behind and getting weaker. If it does live it will take alot of work on your part as far as feeding it by hand to keep it that way. And they have to have their beaks trimmed on a regular basis too to keep them from overgrowing. Search cross beak on here to read up on some people that have cared for some of these birds as adults to see if it is something you are willing to commit to.

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

That's NOT i repeat not the worse case of cross beak I've ever seen. Don't give up on it yet. Only time will tell if it will adapt to it's disabilities. You would be surprised the resiliency of chickens and have recovered from injuries that would have killed a human. I would see how it does after the yolk is used up. One eyed chicks get around just fine. Good luck..

 

[Fur & Feathers]

a BYC user has a totaly blind chicken,can remember the photo of the beatufiul chuck,lying in a childs trailor of some sort.
chickens do adapt well to disabilities,especialy from birth,lots of hope from us that she/he keeps going and develops well!!
perhaps the egg had been to narrow where his/her head was?

one of mine was born with a deformed leg,she completely compensates for it now with her other and is well able to keep up with the normie chickens.