Sorry for crossposting - got no response on "raising chicks" forum so I thought I would try here. One of my Australorps has never been as big or active as the other girls (all hatched March 9th BTW). She recently started acting better and growing but in the past two weeks her beak began to cross and is now getting quite bad. I always thought they were born this way but I guess it is something that can show up anytime? If I trim it, is there any hope it will grow back straight? Handfeeding etc. isn't an option for me. Any thoughts / hints / tips? Or just best to cull her or give away to someone that wants to handfeed?
BUMP! you could trim it and it may grow back straight. if not, then just trim it again when it starts to cross again.
Try and PM Wynette here on byc. She had a cross beak for about 6 months or so. She would bring it to the vet to have the beak trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks or so. I'm sure she would have alot of info for you.
cross beak is genetic and you have to trim it which is no big deal just so the two beaks are touching and then keep the feed deep in depth so the chicken can dip the beak down into the feed to gulp it up where as most chickens peck and grasp the feed between the beaks to eat this is now a problen i would trim the beak with a dog clippers that is so you can grasp the beak and cut it so the beak is about the same on both [ieces meaning it will be more so the beak meets in the middle so both pieces are together and not alot x but wherew the x is in the middle it meets you probably have to cut it every week to two weeks to keep the middle of the two pieces together in the x say the x is here and you cut the two pieces below the x off thus I feel the large nail clippers for humans will work thus it is what has to happen to keep the chicken for a pet she will live okay as long as you keep the beak with middle points the same always cut the long part of the x on both beaks off
Yeah - it is pretty bad - the lower beak is the crooked one, If I trim it as described, she won't have much at all left.
I had a three month old Ameraucana cockerel who suddenly started to have his beak cross, just a very tiny amt. It generally gets worse as they age. Since he was for breeding, we did cull him. Shame, too, at that age.
