Need help asap

[Kat C]

I didn’t direct anything at you Kat? I was giving her another side to things. I wasn’t up in arms? I didn’t quote anyone other than Mandy, as even though I didn’t agree with cull or grinding the beak back as a first option, I was simply giving my story of Lucy and advice with the deep dish as a positive experience. This way if Mandy knows good and bad points and multiple ways to help the chick, she can make a decision based on what she has read.

Lucy doesn’t struggle at all so I’d rather not grind down her bottom beak and put her through that or risk hurting her. So my personal opinion would be to see how the chick copes first before trying to correct something that doesn’t need correcting per se. Each chicken is different as is each person experience with cases like this or other scenarios.

If the chick had something drastically wrong that would degrade its quality of like massively then yes, cull. But for a simple small under bite? I disagree and was simply saying my experience

Only two of us were advocating culling the chick. So it seemed you were indirectly addressing us. But since you say you only meant to offer the option of waiting and watching I accept that you weren't directly addressing me. I have clipped rooster spurs that got too curved and were pressing against the leg. I have clipped chickens toenails when they get old and don't scratch as much if the toenails get too long. Its not a big deal. But the chick in question may have problems so the suggestion to grind or clip the beak seems a good one to make. In fact I remember now we had a rooster who was not born deformed break off part of his beak in a fight. He had difficulty eating and started getting picked on. We isolated him, gave him a deep bowl and eventually the top beak grew back most of the way. Had I learned about grinding the beak then I could have made his return to normal quicker.
Here is a vid of someone clipping the top beak of a hen

looks pretty easy and painless if you just do a little. Maybe your hen would enjoy life a little bit more if you did trim it as described here.
https://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/chickens/chicken_care/chicken_claw_and_beak_trimming

 

[shiro5]

Only two of us were advocating culling the chick. So it seemed you were indirectly addressing us. But since you say you only meant to offer the option of waiting and watching I accept that you weren't directly addressing me. I have clipped rooster spurs that got too curved and were pressing against the leg. I have clipped chickens toenails when they get old and don't scratch as much if the toenails get too long. Its not a big deal. But the chick in question may have problems so the suggestion to grind or clip the beak seems a good one to make. In fact I remember now we had a rooster who was not born deformed break off part of his beak in a fight. He had difficulty eating and started getting picked on. We isolated him, gave him a deep bowl and eventually the top beak grew back most of the way. Had I learned about grinding the beak then I could have made his return to normal quicker.
Here is a vid of someone clipping the top beak of a hen

looks pretty easy and painless if you just do a little. Maybe your hen would enjoy life a little bit more if you did trim it as described here.
https://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/chickens/chicken_care/chicken_claw_and_beak_trimming

I’m dreading the day I will have to clip the roosters spurs if it comes. He hates me haha especially at the minute as my silkie has an eye injury so I’m having to give her antibiotics and eye drops, so when she yells at me for doing it he comes running!

 

[Kat C]

I’m dreading the day I will have to clip the roosters spurs if it comes. He hates me haha especially at the minute as my silkie has an eye injury so I’m having to give her antibiotics and eye drops, so when she yells at me for doing it he comes running!

I take a knit sleeve cut off from an old shirt and put the roo in it. Holds him nice and secure. I use bolt cutters or loping shears or pruning shears depending on the thickness. I never take off the whole thing and try to take off only the excess. If you cut back too far it will bleed but not for long. Its more like cutting a really thick fingernail. If you are worried you can just take off a few nibbles and work back slowly. Watch this vid - it should make you more comfortable about the whole thing. We don't do it often as the spurs don't seem to bother then hens, if their back get torn up it is usually by the claws not the spurs. But we have had some where the spur re-curves and actually touches the leg. If left it can grow into the leg or at least irritate it. We have a few hens with spurs and have had the same problem with one or two of them.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I’m dreading the day I will have to clip the roosters spurs if it comes. He hates me haha especially at the minute as my silkie has an eye injury so I’m having to give her antibiotics and eye drops, so when she yells at me for doing it he comes running!

It is a personal choice and dependent on your situation.
I never cut spurs because on my property, they need them to protect the birds from hawks and other predators.
I have 2 roosters without spurs because I had sold them to a friend years ago who apparently cuts her birds spurs. After living for a while in Wisconsin and then a couple years in Oregon, they are back home to Missouri where they hatched and I'm glad to have them but I can't rely on them to be ready and able to defend the flocks.

 

[Kat C]

It is a personal choice and dependent on your situation.
I never cut spurs because on my property, they need them to protect the birds from hawks and other predators.
I have 2 roosters without spurs because I had sold them to a friend years ago who apparently cuts her birds spurs. After living for a while in Wisconsin and then a couple years in Oregon, they are back home to Missouri where they hatched and I'm glad to have them but I can't rely on them to be ready and able to defend the flocks.

Have you seen any of your roos actually defend your flock? If so maybe we should buy some eggs from you We had one rooster get a few feet away from a hen being attacked by a hawk and he paced back and forth fussing. The rest of the times our roos think hollering and running away is all they are required to do. They use their spurs some when they fight each other tho. We had a banty Wyandotte hen with chicks who stood her ground when a hawk was making flybys and the hawk left. Not sure if her bravery had anything to do with it tho. I wish our roos were better defenders And most of our roos have game blood in them. Sigh. We had a rat terrier that lived with our flock for 10 years and while she was alive we didn't have a single hawk attack. Sadly she passed and we haven't the energy anymore to raise up a puppy.
7 chicks hatched today, 4 and 8 a week ago. Joy!

 

[Mandy0922]

Mandy,

Give it some research like you are doing by asking on a forum

Lucy doesn’t struggle with any aspect of life, is head hen, came from a battery farm and survived for 18 month with thousands of other hens in that battery farm.

Just an example, however wrong or right. De-beaking is a procedure where the beak is purposely trimmed back like that to stop hen to hen pecking. Not saying I agree with this or disagree, just stating the birds beaks are sometimes purposely cut down like this.

If you notice the chick failing to strive there is possibly something else going on too and it may need to go with none aggressive hens such as silkies or if it’s issue is with eating and drinking it may need to be culled as I can imagine being hand fed and watered for life would not be that great.

Please keep me updated on the chick though there are groups on Facebook for birds who are ‘special’.

Good luck!

Thank you for telling me that I learned we have 2 chicks with this beak defect our black one with it is doing awesome but the brown one which was the first one I saw had it isn't doing good at all. I just started another yhread asking for advice causei don't think she's going to make it through the night. She's extremely lethargic, she can't even hold her head up and her breathing is really heavy and loud and raspy. I feel so bad for her

 

[shiro5]

Thank you for telling me that I learned we have 2 chicks with this beak defect our black one with it is doing awesome but the brown one which was the first one I saw had it isn't doing good at all. I just started another yhread asking for advice causei don't think she's going to make it through the night. She's extremely lethargic, she can't even hold her head up and her breathing is really heavy and loud and raspy. I feel so bad for her

I’m so sorry to hear that I lost one of my girls yesterday to an infection. It’s so horrible.

While looking into how to help her I found the ‘spa method’. It may not have saved her but she certainly took comfort in it.

https://www.gardenbetty.com/the-spa-treatment-for-sick-chickens/

If she’s still eating and drinking and up to it, it might be worth a try?

 

[shiro5]

I’m so sorry to hear that I lost one of my girls yesterday to an infection. It’s so horrible.

While looking into how to help her I found the ‘spa method’. It may not have saved her but she certainly took comfort in it.

https://www.gardenbetty.com/the-spa-treatment-for-sick-chickens/

If she’s still eating and drinking and up to it, it might be worth a try?

Oh and I also gave her some water with honey in, which did perk her up.