✅ Answer: Reflect on the following narrations:

1 قَالَ وَ قَالَ الصَّادِقُ كُلُّ شَيْ ءٍ مُطْلَقٌ حَتَّى يَرِدَ فِيهِ نَهْيٌ

📚 Al-Faqih, vol.1, p.317

Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Everything is permissible (absolute) until a prohibition comes regarding it.

✅ In the case of the question, no prohibition has been reported in the narrations, and therefore, according to the statement of Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, it is permissible.

✅ From another aspect, this act is also commendable, because raising such a chick has no result other than wasting time and expense. Slaughtering it is considered a form of managing wealth, which the narrations encourage. For example:

2 عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: إِصْلَاحُ الْمَالِ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ.

📚 Al-Kafi, vol.5, p.87

Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Managing wealth is part of faith.

✅ Consider an example of this act performed by Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him:

3 عَنْ شَيْخٍ مِنْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ عَمْرٌو عَنْ ذَرِيحٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: أَصَابَ بَعِيراً لَنَا عِلَّةٌ وَ نَحْنُ فِي مَاءٍ لِبَنِي سُلَيْمٍ- فَقَالَ الْغُلَامُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَا مَوْلَايَ أَنْحَرُهُ قَالَ لَا، تَلَبَّثْ فَلَمَّا سِرْنَا أَرْبَعَةَ أَمْيَالٍ قَالَ يَا غُلَامُ انْزِلْ فَانْحَرْهُ وَ لَأَنْ تَأْكُلَهُ السِّبَاعُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ تَأْكُلَهُ الْأَعْرَابُ.

📚 ‘Ilal al-Shara’i, p.599

‘Amr ibn Dharih said: While we were in the water of Banu Sulaym (a region), one of our camels became sick. The servant said to Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: O my master, shall I slaughter it? The Imam replied: No, wait and be patient! When we had traveled four miles (about 8 km), Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: O servant, dismount and now slaughter it. Indeed, if the beasts of prey eat it, it is more beloved to me than the Arabs (meaning the Bedouin enemies of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them) eating it!

✅ Consider another witness to the encouragement of managing wealth:

📚 Al-Kafi, vol.6, p.254

4 عَنِ الْكَاهِلِيِّ قَالَ: سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَ أَنَا عِنْدَهُ عَنْ قَطْعِ أَلَيَاتِ الْغَنَمِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِقَطْعِهَا إِذَا كُنْتَ تُصْلِحُ بِهَا مَالَكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ فِي كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ أَنَّ مَا قُطِعَ مِنْهَا مَيْتٌ لَا يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ.

Kahili said: I was with the Imam when a man asked Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, about cutting the fat tails of sheep. The Imam replied: If by this act you intend to manage your wealth, there is no problem. Then he said: In the Book of Ali, peace be upon him, it is written: Whatever is cut from a living animal is carrion (maytah) and no benefit is taken from it.

✅ In other narrations, it is mentioned that the reason for cutting the tails of live sheep was that their fat tails grew too large and caused problems. In this case, the Imam allowed cutting part of it for managing wealth. In another narration, he permitted its use in oil lamps, but since it is carrion, it cannot be eaten or bought and sold, and the rulings of carrion apply to it.

✅ Based on the above narrations, it is clear that keeping a disabled or sick chick is of no benefit, and slaughtering it, in addition to not being prohibited, is also encouraged as a form of managing wealth.

✅ The only point that must be considered is that if slaughtered properly according to Islamic law, and if its meat — however little — is edible, it should not be thrown away unnecessarily to avoid waste. It should only be discarded if it is unusable.