Please Help! 4 week old w/ cross beak not doing well...

[Punkyv]

I'm a new chicken mama. My 4 week old Amercuana is not doing well.
Initially she was the largest & loudest & literally overnight she is now lethargic and quiet. I went to your feeding forum & I tried feeding her her feed mixed w/ water by hand & she takes a little but won't drink. I have deep cups filled w/ water & food mash(feed w/ water). Should I separate her? I don't want to because she & the other 3 snuggle together in the brooder. Do I take her to the vet?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated...

 

[SpringChickens]

The best thing to do would be to make sure she has a deep dish of food that she can eat from easily. How pronounced is her cross beak? If its already severe at four weeks, she probably won't live very long regardless of what you do. The beaks just keep on getting worse until around puberty.

Without further information, the kindest thing to do for her right now might be to cull her.

You could take her to the vet, but the vet probably won't be able to do anything to help her.

Good luck.

 

[Punkyv]

Thank you so much for your kind response.
I can't cull her. It is not in my heart. Her cross beak is quite severe. I will nurse her as best as I can. I am cuddling her and I separated her so she can get some peace from the 3 others.