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What do you do when you get a defective chick

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Ruffledfeathers

Ruffledfeathers
Golden Member
Golden Member

So I had a chick start to hatch out and it was deformed. It had 1 eye bugged out of the face and it was all black. The eye was. Then the beak was off top part moved off to the left side of the bottom beak.

I wasn't sure about any of it so I euthanized.

Do any of you come across the odd defective ones?

And what do you do to deal with them.

Jonny Anvil

Jonny Anvil
Admin

In regards to hatching, I haven't come across that many chicks with deformities, there have been a few chicks from past hatches that have had crooked beaks, and one I recall had only one fully developed wing.
I have experienced my fair share of chicks that have had leg issues however, I will give them 48hrs, if they still have issues I will cull/euthanize, my reason is I have noticed in my experiences that some chicks haven't fully absorbed the yolk sac, and 48hrs sometimes 3 days will be enough for them to absorb and they are up walking and eating and grow out healthy and strong.

Some chicks hatch yolk sac fully absorbed and still have leg problems after a few days, I no longer use the band-aid method to help them, as this would not be a choice if mamma hen hatched it.

Any birds that show any sign of a genetic defect, as hard as it may be to do, the choice gets made with each individual case and most often the chick will get euthanized.


Farmer Bob

Farmer Bob
Full Time Member
Full Time Member

The only defective ones I have come across so far are leg issues, and I actually do use the band aid treatment for those. I just make darn sure that the chick is identified as it grows so that I can be sure to cull it when it is big enough to dress out. One of the primary reasons that we have chickens is to be self sufficient, so the extra couple of chicken dinners is worthwhile for us. I would definitely cull any with beak issues right away...hard as it would be to do at the time.

Derbyshire

Derbyshire
Active Member
Active Member

Ruffledfeathers, you did the right thing.

Ruffledfeathers

Ruffledfeathers
Golden Member
Golden Member

Thanks. I am not the best when it comes down to the brass tax of dispatching. Usually when I slaughter my meat birds I have to get mentally prepared before the job. Then I can go thru the day knowing I was being humane. Some times it just harder and with this little guy caught me off guard. So I came here for the reassurance that I was being smart about my choice. So again thanks scooby gang Smile

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