Americuana chick with overbite (with pictures)

[BocBocBagoc]

I have two 4 week old americuana chicks and 1 has a curved upper beak and abnormally small lower beak. There was an old thread about this but didn't have any info on the outcome of the chick. She has had the problem for about 2 weeks and now is noticeably smaller than the other chick. Im worried about her ability to eat and get the nutrition she need as she is growing. She has to work pretty hard to pick up 1 piece of food. Need any help you guys could give me or if anyone has had any experience with this, if they could share their outcome it would be greatly appriciate! Thank you

 

[gr00h]

I would wait for someone more educated to answer this question in entirety, but in the meantime I would personally feed her some soft clumped food. Like bananas or wet scratch, scrambled eggs. Seems like it would be easier to grab.

 

[BocBocBagoc]

Thank you for replying to my post! I have tried hand feeding her with little to no success. I've been told to clip the beak back in slow small increments by the local feed stores "chicken expert" but I'm still looking for what people think the long term outcome of this chick is going to be. And the "chicken expert" isn't sure either. I'm not even sure if the beak clipping will work because of the small lower beak.

 

[gr00h]

Have you tried the clumpy food thing I suggested? I feel like that would be easier to pick up. And also, beak trimming probably wouldn't solve all but I could see trimming a little bit of it (with proper anesthetics if needed) being helpful at least.

 

[BocBocBagoc]

Yes I actually have fed her scrambled eggs, and the chicks are on this medicated chick starter crumble. I tried adding water to that, and I tried making a mash out of it also. I also tried feeding her yogurt but she doesn't want anything to do with food if I am holding her. She eats food just very very slowly and I want to make it easier for her. It takes her probably 5 times longer than the other chick to get full/stop eating

 

[BocBocBagoc]

Also she fumbles the food more than anything while trying to pick it up. Just seems like she is pecking around until she finally catches a piece of food

 

[gr00h]

I would just try to leave clumpy food available to her and not use hand. What's your plan you think?

 

[BocBocBagoc]

I'll probably try the beak clipping and leave some clumpy food available for her like you suggested. Maybe nobody here has had any experience with this?

 

[gr00h]

I'm a newbie to this forum, I'm sure someone has but it seems very uncommon. I think this is something you can work through for sure

 

[groovychic]

I was wondering how you chick was doing? I have a day old keet that has the same issue and I filed its beak, put in a deep bowl of food, and mash but I don't think it's eating and I just wondered what all I could do.