3 week old chick - crossbeak / scissor beak getting severe - euthanasia?e

[Attila the Hen]

You are right. I will desist. I was using it as an emergency way to get him to eat the feed.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

You are right. I will desist. I was using it as an emergency way to get him to eat the feed.

Animals eat when they are hungry.

If you really need to add something, try some scrambled or boiled and smashed egg. They are loaded with nutrients... but again, sparingly as a treat because while they are 34% protein they are also 64% fat.

Also... YES, I have also had an Atilla!

 

[Livingskies]

From days 10-19 I decreased the humidity to 30-35% following the dry hatch guidelines someone had linked me to at that time. At hatch, the air cells were overly large, dry (no one drowned), and the pips were about 1/3 to almost middle of the egg which my chicken raising book says indicates low humidity.

In the eggtopsies I did for the embryos that died, the air cells were all dry. I had been marking them in pencil on the shell when candling and they seemed to be normal (perfect) size when I was doing the higher humidity. When I dropped the humidity the air cells started growing like crazy. I live in a very dry climate.

As far as culling deformities, I actually thought that was a very regular practice in the chicken raising hobby (and definitely is in the chicken business). As far as I know people even cull perfectly good roos as they aren't financially worth raising for meat from what I hear. I'm a city girl and couldn't ever eat a pet personally, but I can understand farm dynamics and the way nature works. I appreciate your concern, and that this is a pet chicken forum, but I don't think it's unreasonable to be considering culling a crossbeak.

I do believe crossbeak is possibly curable if caught early, through trimming and splinting. If I get one again, I would start as soon as I notice it, splinting 6 hours a day overnight with vet wrap. I would like to do a documentary / paper on it.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I do believe crossbeak is possibly curable if caught early, through trimming and splinting. If I get one again, I would start as soon as I notice it, splinting 6 hours a day overnight with vet wrap. I would like to do a documentary / paper on it.

That would be AWESOME.

 

[Livingskies]

One of my favorite hatching resources, in case it wasn't previously posted... reasons for failure according to what day they quit starts around page 52...
Incubation guide

Just reading this incubation guide, it's awesome! Thank you for linking it!

 

[Attila the Hen]

From days 10-19 I decreased the humidity to 30-35% following the dry hatch guidelines someone had linked me to at that time. At hatch, the air cells were overly large, dry (no one drowned), and the pips were about 1/3 to almost middle of the egg which my chicken raising book says indicates low humidity.

In the eggtopsies I did for the embryos that died, the air cells were all dry. I had been marking them in pencil on the shell when candling and they seemed to be normal (perfect) size when I was doing the higher humidity. When I dropped the humidity the air cells started growing like crazy. I live in a very dry climate.

As far as culling deformities, I actually thought that was a very regular practice in the chicken raising hobby (and definitely is in the chicken business). As far as I know people even cull perfectly good roos as they aren't financially worth raising for meat from what I hear. I'm a city girl and couldn't ever eat a pet personally, but I can understand farm dynamics and the way nature works. I appreciate your concern, and that this is a pet chicken forum, but I don't think it's unreasonable to be considering culling a crossbeak.

I do believe crossbeak is possibly curable if caught early, through trimming and splinting. If I get one again, I would start as soon as I notice it, splinting 6 hours a day overnight with vet wrap. I would like to do a documentary / paper on it.

My chick is about 4 weeks old. I’ve though about putting rubber bands on at night but don’t see where anyone else has done it. I have vet wrap. Looks like it might be getting worse. Noticed it a week ago. Do you have experience banding the beak???

 

[21hens-incharge]

My chick is about 4 weeks old. I’ve though about putting rubber bands on at night but don’t see where anyone else has done it. I have vet wrap. Looks like it might be getting worse. Noticed it a week ago. Do you have experience banding the beak???

Banding a beak enough to straighten it in my opinion would risk that chick dying.


Vet wrapping.... I doubt that can be done in a way that does not cause restricted breathing.

I would not attempt either. I would go with filing to trim to a more functional shape.

 

[Attila the Hen]

Banding a beak enough to straighten it in my opinion would risk that chick dying.


Vet wrapping.... I doubt that can be done in a way that does not cause restricted breathing.

I would not attempt either. I would go with filing to trim to a more functional shape.

I agree. Too dangerous and might be painful. The little guy refused to eat watered mash. Had to add corn and mealworms. He was ravenous.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I agree. Too dangerous and might be painful. The little guy refused to eat watered mash. Had to add corn and mealworms. He was ravenous.

Did you make it the consistency of cooked oatmeal?

My hens actually will stop eating scratch to come in and get wet mash every morning.

 

[Livingskies]

I haven't done it, no, but from what I've read clipping alone doesn't seem to do the trick. I did read an account of a lady who got her chick surgery from an avian vet, who broke the jaw and reset it, the chick wore a splint for a few weeks. I think as long as you don't cover the nostrils you would be ok? Maybe medical tape would be safer than vetwrap. Definitely you don't want to suffocate it!!! Splinting works for the crooked toes and splayed leg so I would be hopeful it would work for crossbeak. As long as you can keep them aligned it would work similar to orthodontics I would guess?

Due to medical conditions my daughter has, I have learned that 6 hours a day in humans is what it takes to, say, eye patch a lazy eye, or train an underused limb. I'm assuming they tested it in animals first, so that's where I got the 6 hours from. I know mine sleep overnight for quite a while so not eating and drinking for 6 hours after the first week or week and a half, when you start noticing the cross anyways, should be fine as far as eating/drinking goes I would think?