I was given this Silkie chick by a friend because my baby emu needed a friend and at the time I didn't have any chicks that weren't old but weren't too young. His scissor beak was obvious but didn't look too bad, and despite not being told he had a deformity before agreeing to meet her, I didn't mind taking him in because he was eating/drinking well, he was free, and my emu was lonely. Here are some pictures of him.
He is at least 16 weeks old, but he is the size of a 7 week old chick. I can easily pick him up with one hand. Don't mind the brownish mush on his beak, that's leftovers from when he was eating. His scissor beak has become pretty bad. It was not this bad when I got him, but as he got older, even though he isn't growing, it's gotten worse. I've tried trimming his beak before, but because his beak is so crossed, trimming doesn't make a difference in how aligned his beak is. It's gotten so bad that even his tongue is fully exposed. A few weeks ago I separated him from my emu because I noticed how bad his beak was getting and figured he might do better on his own, now that my emu doesn't need him. He is very underweight and his stomach is usually never full, even if he has food. I give him a bowl of grower crumbles because I figured it would be easier for him to scoop up the food rather than trying to pick up pellets. He's still pretty active and he's as noisy as any other chick. I'm not sure how he's still able to eat, but I do still see him picking at food. Is there anything I can do to help him or is his beak so bad that he's pretty much doomed?
He is at least 16 weeks old, but he is the size of a 7 week old chick. I can easily pick him up with one hand. Don't mind the brownish mush on his beak, that's leftovers from when he was eating. His scissor beak has become pretty bad. It was not this bad when I got him, but as he got older, even though he isn't growing, it's gotten worse. I've tried trimming his beak before, but because his beak is so crossed, trimming doesn't make a difference in how aligned his beak is. It's gotten so bad that even his tongue is fully exposed. A few weeks ago I separated him from my emu because I noticed how bad his beak was getting and figured he might do better on his own, now that my emu doesn't need him. He is very underweight and his stomach is usually never full, even if he has food. I give him a bowl of grower crumbles because I figured it would be easier for him to scoop up the food rather than trying to pick up pellets. He's still pretty active and he's as noisy as any other chick. I'm not sure how he's still able to eat, but I do still see him picking at food. Is there anything I can do to help him or is his beak so bad that he's pretty much doomed?
