Beak Problem

[Hamburg]

I have a 10 week old EE pullet. I noticed a few weeks ago that she wasn't doing as well as the others. As I looked closer at her closer and her beak didn't close all the way. Her top beak hooked over and her bottom beak grew out beyond the hook. As other recommend, I trimmed the beak both top and bottom. She still cannot close her beak. It seems to be binding in the back. Has anyone else experienced this, if so is there anything else I can do for her.

 

[NonnasBabies]

First Welcome!!

I have no clue at all but I'm giving you a bump and maybe someone can help you out!! Good luck!

 

[Wynette]

That's called crossbeak. If you provide her with a very deep bowl, she should be able to scoop up the feed and throw her head back to get it down. Some folks have had them live a good, long life - I've had a couple of them, and each time they get the point of lay, they have died soon after. Laying takes so much energy, I believe that many of them simply cannot get the amount of feed that they need. Sorry to sound like a wet blanket, this is just my personal experience.

 

[Hamburg]

Thank You Wynette

If I understand right, in your experience, as the pullet matures the lower beak will start shifting to the side and look like the pictures I have seen of cross beaked chickens.

 

[maizy'smom]

I am attempting to attach a photo I have posted here before of my Syvie. Sylvie (a SLW)was absolutely perfect and on par with her hatch-mates up till about two weeks of age. Took her to the vet at four weeks. He said to "hold her beak in alignment" for 20 minutes a day. That lasted for about two weeks, but then she wouldn't have it any longer. We have made accomodations for her in the way of having deep food troughs and providing watered feed for her (like oatmeal). She doesn't forage too well, but she does very nicely with watermelon, ripe pears, yogurt and other soft foods. She (and her coopmates) are now turning 28 weeks. Two of them (BO & JG) have started laying (4 weeks ago & 2 weeks ago). The other holdout is also a Wyandotte(BLRW). I was kind of hoping that perhaps Wyandottes were a little slower to mature, but I wasn't really expecting Sylvie to continue keeping up with the other girls. As long as she continues to thrive, I think we'll be pretty happy.

 

[Hamburg]

Thank you Maizy'smom

That is interesting that your pullets' beak was showing misalignment at two week. My pullets' beak at 10 weeks is still straight but won't close. Wondering if it will start shifting and become a cross beak.

 

[snowflake]

I have a cross beak that is almost 2 she lays well. she does need a deep dish and I either give her crumbles or pellets watered down. believe it or not I have seen her get a worm down if non of the other hens see her worm. she does very well. I was most concerned about the cold weather cause she gets her head so wet when she drinks but she made it through the winter OK....good luck with yours. They are very sweet and try hard to do all that the other hens do, she doesn't get picked on It is a genetic birth defect so you may not want to hatch any of her eggs

 

[mammat]

Im sorry to say this but she is crossbeaked.If she is still young she may grow out of it.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I am not convinced that the OP's bird is crossbeaked. It sure does not look like it. But trimming could have altered the appearance sufficiently that it is not obvious. It currently looks more like a shortened lower mandible, although I do not see what is preventing the bird from closing its mouth.

It would be extremely uncommon for a bird to grow out of being crossbeaked. Far more usually it will continue to worsen as the bird reaches maturity. Crossbeak can have a number of causes, ranging from injury to genetic.

As others have said, a deep dish for food, and probably feed it where it does not have to compete with others.

 

[Hamburg]

Thank You, Snowflake, Mammat and Sonoran Silkies

The EEs' upper and lower mandible are aligned They were the same length until I trimmed her last week. I cut the lower beak a little shorter than the top. One of the pictures in the first post is of how she has to holds her beak, she can't close it any further than that on her own. The other is of me pinching her beak (and pinching pretty hard) and the beak is still not closed all the way. It appears to be binding in the back, and I don't know if I can do any more for her.