Should I cull or give it a chance?

[PattyE39]

Ok, last night this one hatches. Mom has three others but this was one of the two foster eggs.( the other chick is perfect) there is no left side of her head: no eye/socket, bone structure, nothing but skin and fluff and a severely crossed beak. I don't know if she has sight in her eye. She can't stand up well and moves clumsily. I'm thinking I need to cull this little one, but wanted to make sure she doesn't have a chance at a happy life. Thanks in advance!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I mean you can try, odds are if you keep it with mama nature will take it's course or it will thrive. If it was a brooder baby though I would cull.

 

[Sally PB]

Sad as it is, I think JacinLarkwell said it well. I have not experienced the flock dynamics of chickens with chicks firsthand, so I don't know what its chances are.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Believe it or not, the rye to me isn't even the biggest worry. Plenty if birds do great after they lose am eye and this one will never have to adjust to sudden darkness on one side. It's the scissor beak. To be the advanced so young, it is possible it will get pretty bad

 

[Ms Clucky]

You can keep it inside your home for a while. You will have to feed it through an eye dropper for a while, but to me it looks like the little thing is perfect one the other side. I have seen deformities before, but they were just missing the tip of one toe. My Silver Duckwing hen, Blindie came to us from the hatchery with a bad eye, but I think that was pecked out while being in transit. I had a rooster that messed up his legs, a hen that had egg problems and another rooster that got his head pecked when he was born. All three I kept inside my house. two of them died, but it was a couple of years. The other rooster, Took, is still in the chicken house doing good and he had his head pecked where you could see his brain. I grabbed him up at not even an hour old. He was still wet. These three wasn't born with a deformity, but what I am trying to say is that chickens are strong. I would give this little one that you have at least a couple of weeks in your house to see if it even wants to live. I would, but I am a crazy chicken lady. Sorry for your little one. I really hope it lives.

 

[PattyE39]

Believe it or not, the rye to me isn't even the biggest worry. Plenty if birds do great after they lose am eye and this one will never have to adjust to sudden darkness on one side. It's the scissor beak. To be the advanced so young, it is possible it will get pretty bad

Thank you, that is what I was most worried about.

 

[sourland]

The cross beak is a condition that will most likely become worse. To keep this chick alive will require constant monitoring of feed intake and safety from flock mates. I personally would have to cull it as difficult as that is.

 

[PattyE39]

You can keep it inside your home for a while. You will have to feed it through an eye dropper for a while, but to me it looks like the little thing is perfect one the other side. I have seen deformities before, but they were just missing the tip of one toe. My Silver Duckwing hen, Blindie came to us from the hatchery with a bad eye, but I think that was pecked out while being in transit. I had a rooster that messed up his legs, a hen that had egg problems and another rooster that got his head pecked when he was born. All three I kept inside my house. two of them died, but it was a couple of years. The other rooster, Took, is still in the chicken house doing good and he had his head pecked where you could see his brain. I grabbed him up at not even an hour old. He was still wet. These three wasn't born with a deformity, but what I am trying to say is that chickens are strong. I would give this little one that you have at least a couple of weeks in your house to see if it even wants to live. I would, but I am a crazy chicken lady. Sorry for your little one. I really hope it lives.

Thank you, I really appreciate it.

 

[PattyE39]

The cross beak is a condition that will most likely become worse. To keep this chick alive will require constant monitoring of feed intake and safety from flock mates. I personally would have to cull it as difficult as that is.

Thanks, that is what I thought too.

 

[MGG]

Aw, poor baby.
I would leave it with mama and just see what happens. @Clap p 1 had a dorking chick that was just like that, it was a brooder baby though. You might want to read their thread about sweet little Seven. I wish you luck in whatever decision you make. If you decide to cull there's nothing wrong with that, but you could definitely give her a chance. Mama will probably cull on her own if she thinks it's bad enough.