How to fatten up chick fast

[Anomyanom]

I have a 4 week old chick with scissor beak — since he has a little more trouble eating than the other chicks I’ve been softening starter feed with water for him to eat, but he’s still smaller than the other chicks. Is there something more nutrient-dense I can feed him to fatten him up faster, or something I can add to supplement his feed?

 

[GodLovesU]

I gave mine scrambled egg when she was underweight. I also gave her applesauce, which she loved, but too much gave her diarrhea, and I’m not sure if it would help in your situation. This article has some information on feeding a cross-beak chicken. Best of luck! Also, can you post a picture of him?

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi!

I rescued a blind chick, plus have a cross-beak here, and used Kaytee Exact Baby Parrot feed, PLUS Fat to get/keep their weight up.

I made pea-sized balls by mixing it with raw egg yolk with a smidge of coconut oil. At first, they fought it a bit, but after a couple of days, they started relaxing and gladly accepted it. I'd also give them wet chick crumbles (all-flock). I did these pea balls for about two weeks, then saw their feathers shine and their weight stable.

Our cross-beak is now over a year old and laying eggs. I still give her wet crumbles daily, but the other chickens want it too, so I set out two dishes where she is.

We also trim her beak about every 4-5 months with an electric fingernail file. You can find those on Amazon or Chewy.