Oh my goodness I need help!

[LaFleche]

I just don’t know how to tell her that what’s in front of her is food and water.

You can try to imitate the clucking sounds of a momma hen when showing chicks what to eat.

And also grab something like a plastic or metal stick to poke at the dish with to make a sound the chick will recognize and learn to associate with food.

 

[Altairsky]

If they're meant for meat, I think it's more humane to cull the chick with anophtalmia. No eyes and crossbeak means severe skull deformity.

 

[MROO]

How can I let her know that what’s in front of her is food? She likes to keep her head tipped back and doesn’t try pecking or anything. I have tried and tried to get her to eat.. I just don’t know what to do. I keep the feeder and waterer in the same place, I just don’t know how to tell her that what’s in front of her is food and water.

Until she figures out that the feeder/bowl means "food," you'll need to dip her head into it. Once she knows what's in there, gently "herd" her to it with your hands so she knows where it is in the brooder. You'll need to keep her in a small area with just one or two companions - maybe just the splay-leg chick.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Until she figures out that the feeder/bowl means "food," you'll need to dip her head into it. Once she knows what's in there, gently "herd" her to it with your hands so she knows where it is in the brooder. You'll need to keep her in a small area with just one or two companions - maybe just the splay-leg chick.

So I was able to get her to drink out of the waterer!! I held her in front of it and put a drop on her beak, than she drank a few times on her own but I had to hold her in place. How do I get her to eat?? She won’t open her beak to eat, same with the splay leg chick. If I could get them to eat I think they will have a chance.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

If they're meant for meat, I think it's more humane to cull the chick with anophtalmia. No eyes and crossbeak means severe skull deformity.

Yeah.. it might come to that.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

You can try to imitate the clucking sounds of a momma hen when showing chicks what to eat.

And also grab something like a plastic or metal stick to poke at the dish with to make a sound the chick will recognize and learn to associate with food.

I was taping it with my finger and moving it around but it hasn’t worked so far. I can try, though I’m not sure if it will work. Thanks for the help!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

The one that has splay leg is making a faint clicking sound when it breathes, usually after we have given it water. It has done this since yesterday. It also seems to breathe really hard all the time. What do you think is wrong?

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Do ya’ll think it’s more humane to cull them? The meat birds are more of another family member’s thing, I have my own flock of pet birds so I would hate to have to kill them. But please give it to me straight, what is best for these baby chicks?

 

[Altairsky]

If you decide to do all it takes to save the blind chick, and it survives, it will became a pet and you'll never be able to cull it.
If you can take care of this special need bird for the rest of its life, which might mean to hand feed it or tube feed it when the crossbeak gets worse, then keep it. But it's a big commitment.
I always cull meat chicks that have problems because if I nurse them back to health it will be impossible for me to cull them when the time comes. I get too attached the more time I spend with them.