BLRW cross beak chick :(

[chickerdoodle]

I have a beautiful 4 week old BLRW with a slight cross beak.

It was unnoticeable when I got her as a 2 day old chick. She is very standoffish and I try not to stress her by picking her up. The other 4 chicks ( 2 SS, 1 BR and 1 EE) are very friendly and gregarious--they run to me whenever I am near their pen. I noticed some food on the side of her beak a couple of days ago and tried to get a look but she'd run to the end of the pen (pen is 4x4). I have been giving them treats in hopes of winning her over and she came really close tonight and I noticed a slight cross beak. She eats like a piglet, drinks and is the biggest chick. I worry that it will worsen as she grows. I also have a suspicion she may be a he as well. I know its too early to tell but now I worry if it is a roo no one will take a cross beak roo. Anyone know if it will continue to get worse as the chick grows?

 

[teach1rusl]

Not from experience, only what I've read here on BYC... I don't think there's a distinct way to tell or predict. Some have reported that their chick eventually "grew out of" the crossbeak, or at least enough that it was really not very noticeable at all, while for others it's gotten worse. Sorry...that didn't help. I hope yours is one of the former...

 

[chickerdoodle]

Thanks teach1rusl. I will hold out hope for it to improve. If its a pullet we will keep her and love her. However, if its a he then he cannot be bred to perpetuate the flaw--a death sentence unless someone wants him for eye candy (she/he is gorgeous!) as we cannot have a roo in our area.

 

[Katy]

The first couple I had in the past I hoped would improve, never did and only got worse. Now I cull when it first shows up.

 

[chickerdoodle]

Quote:
Did you notice it right away in your chicks?? I am wondering how bad it can get if its not too noticeable at her age now (4 weeks). Most folks wouldn't even notice it if she were walking around--just as she gets closer to you looking for treats.


If I were breeding then it wouldn't be wise to keep a cross beaked chicken--don't blame you for culling. I am also thinking it will get worse. She (or he?) will not be bred in a any case as they are our pets. Funny, I had a dream before I got my chicks one would have a cross beak.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Did you notice it right away in your chicks?? I am wondering how bad it can get if its not too noticeable at her age now (4 weeks). Most folks wouldn't even notice it if she were walking around--just as she gets closer to you looking for treats.


If I were breeding then it wouldn't be wise to keep a cross beaked chicken--don't blame you for culling. I am also thinking it will get worse. She (or he?) will not be bred in a any case as they are our pets. Funny, I had a dream before I got my chicks one would have a cross beak.

One was evident right away while the others didn't show up for the first month or so. It can get so bad that the chick slowly starves to death because it can't eat properly.....I prefer to cull before that happens.

 

[Yogaliciouschick]

Cross beak does not get worst, it is as bad as it is going to get. I have a cross beak chicken named Olive and she is doing just fine. She eats well, takes on my Roo and is very sweet! Just like people some come out a little special! I have no plans on breeding so I would never cull a cross beak unless it was going to suffer. I understand why people do but recently I have been told that it is not genetic, but rather an incubation problem. Not sure what is right. I am sure someone will love your "special" chicken even if it turns out to be a roo.

 

[tigerrrrrrrlilly]

I have a BR that had cross beak (a pretty good one) as a baby, she had been thrown in as a packing peanut, she was also very small for a BR baby, but was able to eat and drink ok in her own way (kinda sideways). Anyway I kept her because of this and she is now a very sweet, pretty 1 yr old BR hen with no sign she ever had cross beak and lays just fine. She is smaller than normal I think but fits right in with my banties and has no problem as she is at least a little bigger than they are.

 

[akpeeps]

I'm a big softy so I'd give her/him a chance as long as it's eating and drinking okay. I have a 10 mo Silkie hen with a slight cross beak and she's getting along just fine. She's smaller than my other Silkie hens but once she figured out her own way of eating and drinking she started to maintain her weight. She started laying about 3 months ago and I get an egg about every other day from her. Her's wasn't noticable until she was 6+ wks old and hasn't gotten any worse.

 

[DarkUnicorn]

Get some baby vitamins without iron and give her a drop a day.....

My Silkie rooster had that as a chick, I gave him vitamins everyday and you cant tell he had cross beak..... Try it, it can't hurt.