Split Beak

lzoloth

Hatching
11 Years
Jul 23, 2008
2
0
7
One of our 6 week old chicks has a defective beak. The bottom part of the beak is shifted off to the left, that is, when she closes her beak, the top & bottom do not line up together. This doesn't seem to have any effect on her eating & drinking & she seems to be growing fine. Still, is this anything to worry about? Is it a common "defect" in chickens?
 
I have a silkie like that. She is about 4 months old now and doing fine. It hasn't affected her any but she is a little smaller than the others. I am just taking the wait and see approach...not sure if she will make it through the winter but who knows.
It's not contagious, so don't worry about it!
 
This is a fairly common defect that many call crooked or twisted beak. I've got a cochin with the problem:
0809081601.jpg


I have to trim Tribble's beak about once a month with fingernail clippers and a file. She doesn't seem to mind it too much.

The primary issues for a chicken like this are:
1. Can the bird eat and drink enough to get a sufficient number of calories to grow/thrive?
2. Can the bird keep itself clean?
3. The bird should not be permitted to breed.
4. The misalignment will get worse with growth, generally stopping around 3-4 months.

If your bird is able to eat and drink OK, it'll be OK.
 

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