Underdeveloped chick

[BarbaraJean67]

All of these chicks are 7 weeks old. The little one still looks so young, not developing as fast and has a neck/beak deformity. I don't know what to do for her.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

What’s up with his mouth?

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

You could wet his food and spoon feed him for a little bit.

 

[NatJ]

The beak deformity is probably making it hard to eat, so the chick might be semi-starving. That could cause the small size and delayed growth. Or it could have other things wrong as well as the beak issue we can see.

Feel for the crop, to see how full it is. Compare with other chickens to get an idea of what is normal. Usually it should be empty first thing in the morning, partly full during the day, and really full at bedtime.

If the chick's crop is the right amount full each time, then I have no idea how to treat it.

But if the crop is not as full as it should be (after comparing with the healthy chicks), you could try a bowl of wet feed, which might be easier for the chick to eat. If it is able to fill its crop well this way, then a dish of wet food twice a day may be all you need to do.

If it still is not getting enough food, you could try tube feeding to fill the crop in the evening or maybe the morning. I've never personally done this, so I won't try to give instructions.

The other chickens might also bully that chick, especially as they grow older, so keep an eye on that too.

Personally, I would just cull the chick, but I know that's not the right choice for everyone, which is why I've tried to suggest other options as well.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Looks possibly like parrot beak, and I agree it's probably not able to eat enough like that, thus causing it to become malnourished. Wet mash in a deep bowl and water in a deep dish as well may help it eat/drink, if that's the only issue. The beak may need to regular maintenance to allow it to eat.

Culling may be advisable if you cannot/do not want to take care of a special needs bird. I wouldn't want to have to tube feed a bird to keep it alive, myself.

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

Just brainstorming, but would an avian vet be able to file down the "hook" on her beak a little to help her be able to eat more normally? Is that a thing?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Just brainstorming, but would an avian vet be able to file down the "hook" on her beak a little to help her be able to eat more normally? Is that a thing?

You don't need a vet for that, you can do it at home. A plain coarse emery board works well. However you can only safely file back to where the "quick" is in the center, so there's still going to be overhang. But it should help keep it more manageable.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I had a chick like this. Sadly she didn't make it past 8 weeks.

This her at 3 weeks. her name was Baby.

 

[theoldchick]

If you are inclined to do so a veterinarian can make a prosthetic beak to help the little fella. Or you could put him/her on a liquid diet-hand feeding formula for avians works great-and see how he she does.

 

[Mellowmalt]

the neck is more of a concern. It looks like it cannot stretch its neck like the others, probably a defect from hatching. don't think there is much long term hope for it