Possible scissor beak in chick

[Silkie2]

not too familiar with “scissor beak” but im worried my 2 week old polish might have it. Been getting a lot of chicks lately from different people mainly because all the feed store chicks are terrible, but unfortunately we haven’t had even much luck with breeders either..
Its been “shifting its mouth a lot (similar to what they do after they drink) haven’t noticed it till now. Is this early scissor beak or am i being paranoid? Can i prevent it from getting worse?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Looks likely to be a cross/scissor beak. As far as I know it can't be "fixed" so you just want to make sure the chick can continue eating and drinking without issue. Although it will likely get worse as it grows, it doesn't look too bad right now, so hopefully it won't end up impacting the chick too much.

 

[aart]

Great pics!
Looks like it has a bit of an overbite too, top beak longer than bottom.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Adorable little thing! ♥ Depending on the severity, chickens can function with a cross beak. Making their feed into a mash helps. Keep us posted as your chick develops and if more help is needed.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I found this article........ https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2016/05/causes-and-treatment-of-scissor-or.html?m=1

 

[Silkie2]

Thank you for the replies.
She’s doing great right now (eating and drinking) getting along with other chicks and active. Hasn’t gotten worse today but I suspect it will eventually. I’ll keep you updated

 

[MissChick@dee]

If she does continue to grow and be missshapen you’ve caught it early. Good job on the awareness.
She is young so get her used to being handled for beak shaping.
If she were mine I’d use a nice emery board to keep the beak in shape. I’ve used the multi-grit type. So easy to use and you can change from coarse to fine simply by turning it.
Beaks continually grow like our fingernails do. But cutting or using nippers can cause splitting (dangerous).
Sometimes a little sanding or buffing will help straighten out beaks with minor problems. She doesn’t look malformed. Her jaw appears normal. Her skull shape looks normal. But...a side view might show differently. It’d help to see that.
I’d file the high point (bottom left) of the last photo. It looks like her lower beak needs a little help. Perhaps one of those cheap bendable emery boards for the bottom (it’s harder to reach). Trying while she’s young is the key. I hope she’s able to grow out of it.
I’d also give them a cement paver so they can wipe/trim their own beaks. Best wishes

 

[Silkie2]

View attachment 1710129 If she does continue to grow and be missshapen you’ve caught it early. Good job on the awareness.
She is young so get her used to being handled for beak shaping.
If she were mine I’d use a nice emery board to keep the beak in shape. I’ve used the multi-grit type. So easy to use and you can change from coarse to fine simply by turning it.
Beaks continually grow like our fingernails do. But cutting or using nippers can cause splitting (dangerous).
Sometimes a little sanding or buffing will help straighten out beaks with minor problems. She doesn’t look malformed. Her jaw appears normal. Her skull shape looks normal. But...a side view might show differently. It’d help to see that.
I’d file the high point (bottom left) of the last photo. It looks like her lower beak needs a little help. Perhaps one of those cheap bendable emery boards for the bottom (it’s harder to reach). Trying while she’s young is the key. I hope she’s able to grow out of it.
I’d also give them a cement paver so they can wipe/trim their own beaks. Best wishes

Ok! I can try getting side photos later today. Thank you for the help! I’ll try the emery board

 

[Silkie2]

Some updated pics.
It seems to have gotten worse, however, she is eating and drinking perfectly fine (besides the food she occasionally gets stuck in her beak) she scratches and pecks the ground just like the other chicks. Totally normal besides her beak. Hoping it stays that way. She’s such a sweet girl i would hate to lose her.