I don't know, I've never filed hers, can't catch her to do it anyway...we have finally given her an actual name, she's called Dum Dum...lol...she's a little over 6 mths old now, her beak is still the same as this photo and she's actually quite fat. Same size as the rest of the hens, and actually bigger than 2 of them. She is also quite high up in the pecking order, and lays a beautiful blue egg almost every day with a nice hard shell. Her beak has never closed, it's been open since she hatched. Her whole bottom jaw is deformed, as well as her skull, and her vision is off. She's not the brightest hen in the bunch which is why she's called Dum Dum. Her beard is always matted and never smooth because she's a messy drinker/eater but she doesn't seem to have much trouble with either. Only thing she seems to have trouble with is eating table treats like bread, but if I give her a whole slice she does pretty good. She'll never be bred because of her deformity, but she'll be our pet her whole life...lolThe resemblance to my 15 week old black Ameraucana pullet, Polly, is striking. Polly's crossbeak started as a "falcon/parrot" type beak at around 4 weeks of age. It has now progressed to curving and starting to cross over so her mouth is open all the time.
I have not interceded at all yet. I think she is having more trouble eating and drinking now. I took her out separately to drink today and it seemed to be difficult. She continued to do it for a long time; even after I returned her to the flock, she came back to the waterer for more sips. I think she has trouble scooping up enough in her beak. It seems to help if the water is elevated above her head so it doesn't drip out when she lifts her head to swallow. She may be having trouble eating pellets as well. I can tell after she's been drinking because her beard/muff is soaked.
I am curious to know if trimming will make much of a difference. I hope none of her normal siblings carry the defect as well.