Beaker update

[FortCluck]

I just have a feeling she’s a blue or green egg layer worth the visit to me

 

[ackie]

I'm usually all about keeping everyone and letting chickens be chickens, but I'm suddenly pondering what bad things I'm passing along by breeding less than ideal birds. I havent seen any cross beak but like... the chick that stops following its mom... am I keep stupid genes by putting him back with her? LOL just my pondering

 

[aart]

For what reason? They chick is too small to do anything but have it’s beak filed with a dremel. They didn’t even charge me for the file, they only charged for the visit

Crossbeaks often have other skeletal issues.
Nice that they showed you how to file it....are they avian vets?

 

[FortCluck]

Crossbeaks often have other skeletal issues.
Nice that they showed you how to file it....are they avian vets?

Yes. He was an exotic animal and avian vet. I’m sure he wouldn’t condone me asking for an X-ray when I paid only $3 for the chick. Usually I cull cross beaks, but this one has stolen my heart. It’s the most lively one of the new colored egg layer pullets I got from Texas. It has not even acted like it’s different and it’s at the top of the flock lol, it’s cute

 

[Krazikatlady64]

I have had several crossbeak chicks born amongst my easter eggers through the years. My line of easter eggers ALSO came from ideal hatchery.

Does anyone let the hatchery know about this? I'm new to chickens and I feel that a lot of people breed all kinds of chickens not knowing what's going on. Some selling to profit off the ignorant. This bothers me. Perhaps another thread topic elsewhere.

I hope the chick does well. It is so cute and I know mine are like children. I never knew chickens could be so great!

 

[NatJ]

I have had several crossbeak chicks born amongst my easter eggers through the years. My line of easter eggers ALSO came from ideal hatchery.

Does anyone let the hatchery know about this?

I don't know about Ideal, but Cackle says this about their Easter Eggers:
"NOTE: It should be noted that this breed has an inherent genetic beak issue. 1 out of 100 chicks as they grow may have some variance in severity of scissor beak/cross beak."
https://www.cacklehatchery.com/product/easter-egger/

I wonder how many other hatcheries have it?

 

[aart]

I don't know about Ideal, but Cackle says this about their Easter Eggers:
"NOTE: It should be noted that this breed has an inherent genetic beak issue. 1 out of 100 chicks as they grow may have some variance in severity of scissor beak/cross beak."
https://www.cacklehatchery.com/product/easter-egger/

I wonder how many other hatcheries have it?

Great sleuthing!

I wonder how they trademark a chicken 'breed'?
" Easter Egger™ chickens "

 

[FortCluck]

I only ordered from Ideal because they had rare chicks I wanted but those ALL DIED! So these were my replacements and all they had were Easter eggers to offer me to replace the rare assortment I got.

I guess the Easter egger chicken is like the SSC Coturnix Quail... LOTS of defects! When I hatched SSC 80% had cross beak or weird angled legs... Thats another bird I stay away from too.

I dislike culling chicks! So anything I can do to avoid it, I do like not buying these two genetics again.

 

[FortCluck]

I’ll get pics of Beaker. The vet couldn’t file too much because it’s tongue needs to beak to stay moist.
He really liked that I brought her in though. I’ll probably drop him off some eggs once they start laying. He wants updates on how she is.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I dont know if Ideal hatchery keeps crossbeaks in their breeding pens, but kinda doubt it? I will say that 2/3 of my original 25 pullets from Ideal hatchery laid blue eggs, & all the rest laid green. They started laying at 19/20 weeks, & by 24 weeks all were laying. They were also excellent layers: 6-7 eggs per week their first year. Several of those original pullets went broody at 7/8 months, & their progeny have continued with excellent lay rates and egg size. (Crossbeak issue DId show up in the f1 generation). I still have most of those original Ideal hens. At age 6+ they remain very healthy, continue to hatch chicks every year including 2020, & i still ocassionally see them in the nest boxes. (How often they now lay idk since they are in a flock with 200+ hens. But they earned their keep and the right to live out their happy chicken lives.) Anyway, yeah the crossbeak issue is "there". But after reading that many easter eggers begin laying late, lay 3/4 eggs weekly tops, & egg sizes are on the smallish side, i feel like i did well getting the Ideal easter eggers. I would estimate the ratio of easter egger crossbeaks hatched has been 1crossbeak out of every 75 chicks. I hope that with some extra attention and care, your little chick thrives and gives you beautiful eggs.