When to cull...crossed beak** UPDATE**

[lurky]

About a week ago i noticed my crossbeak was having trouble closing her beak. At 10 mos old it finally grew to where the top and bottom were getting in eachothers way. We have a batter operated dremel sander for the little dogs nails. I like the battery operated because with less power comes less noise and this way it is not so intimidating. So my husband held her and i lightly sanded a bit off the top and bottom til they fit better. There was no struggle.......no pain.......no blood.........and it worked well.

 

[CarolsCritters]

Awesome! Good point about the noise. My Oatie struggles at first but then just sits and waits for me to finish. Also good point about taking off a little at a time. My vet said to keep an eye out for the pink part of the beak, just like fingernails.

 

[ChooksChick]

I would love to see before and after shots of the filing process- I can't see how there's any way to improve this baby's 'bite' by doing so, but I want to help her have a better shot at not getting called to the office to get her syringe-meal. She's gorging herself now, but she definitely already has trouble picking small bits off of the floor now, and she's all of 11 days old.

Thanks for weighing in here- and anyone with idea, please share them?

Thanks!

 

[lurky]

Quote:
My crossbeak really does not pick things up either........I fill dishes for her that she soves her beak into and something always finds its way back in. I have found my crossbeak does really well eating scrambled eggs because they are soft. Try to just be creative and they seem to work with you because they want to eat just as much as we want to help them eat

 

[ChooksChick]

She's getting syringe-fed (which really means it squirts out and looks like a meal-worm and she gets it from the end as it dangles) a mix of scrambled eggs and medicated starter blended with vitamins and water. She is ignoring the crumbles in the brooder that everyone else has to eat, and goes to the screen dividing the bathroom from the brooding half and cries to be fed! Little spoiled thing!

I'd still like to see what successful before and after trimming looks like, if anyone has pics.

Thanks for sharing! I'm glad to hear others who work at this are keeping these special birds well.

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

If you dont want to cull then the best thing you can do is use a deep dish. I think a few other people have suggested this. But if you use a deep dish then that means the chick can dig its beak deep into the food, getting a better hold on what its trying to eat. Same goes for the water. Ive never had a chicken with a beak problem. But I have heard of others who have and for water they use a gallon jug that they cut in half.

 

[lurky]

My crossbeak is still and will always be a crossbeak. When i fix his beak, its not actually 'fixed' ..... it is just better. I did not take pics so i hope someone has some to show you. I started with a coffee can fill of feed or scratch for mine and i would lay it on its side for her to scoop out of. Eventually she learned how to scoop out of anything a bowl, a crock or the feeder itself. It took a while, but it will happen. I could not be there all the time, so she learned to fend for herself. Just get her used to eating from a bowl as she gets older.
My crossbeak is bigger than all 12 of my big hens.

 

[CarolsCritters]

Here is a photo of Oatie several months ago. Her beak has since grown quite a bit longer and more crooked, but she is still able to eat my oatmeal mash along with crumbles in a deep dish. Trimming the beak is like personal artwork, it is based on your own observations and what you think will work the best. Same goes for the food choices.

The only suggestion I can offer is try to trim the beak on each side and ends to the best of your ability without getting down to the "quick" as in fingernail terms, and while trying your best to match up the top and bottom. And if you are offering gooey type foods, you should clean out the underside of the top beak since those foods have a tendency to build up under there. Of course, these suggestions apply to chicks that are grown. As baby chicks, I hand fed both of mine with a syringe 2-3 times per day. It really IS worth the extra effort, as it is very rewarding to successfully raise and enjoy a special needs chicken. They seem to have the most entertaining personalities! I would not ever consider killing either one of my babies.

 

[lurky]

She is beautiful, your lucky to have her.....and she you

I think my crossbeak is maybe a bit worse than that and there are others on here WAY worse. So i think she will be fine and live a good life. I only wish we humans were as adaptable as these animals

 

[Kali]

I just got a batch of 14 red cornishX from a local hatchery and one of the chicks has a crooked beak. I had no idea that it was so common (and called cross-beak). Hopefully things work out for the little fella and he can make it to processing rather than culling. Thanks for the info and pix everyone (so I don't have to start my own thread).