chick with scissored beak

[ozark hen]

The chick that I had to help "hatch" out of it's egg when I did my test run on my new 'bator has developed a severe scissored beak. I was so upset about it but it seems to fend for itself and it is the first one to eat and drink every time I fill the feeder, which is an open container of feed. It is growing like the rest of the hatch so I am calmer about it now. This weekend I will move them into a caged in area in the main coop with the main flock as it will be around sixty degrees and they are outgrowing their brooder. They are four and a half weeks old now. my dh says they are much larger then the ones I bought last April as one day old chicks. I will try to post a pic of them tomorrow. I will really need help sexing them. I have an idea but need confirmation.

 

[jimnjay]

Cross beaks can often times be controlled by keeping the top beak trimmed.

 

[ozark hen]

here are the pics of the chick

It kind of freaks me out to think we would have to clip the beak....but it would freak me out worse to lose it to starvation...so far it is eating and drinking like the rest and it is the first one into the feed dish, which is an open container to make it easier for it to feed.

 

[jimnjay]

Wow, that one is pretty bad. I have only read about trimming the beak, I have no experience with it. I think they can get along ok hopefully someone who has delt with this could come along and give you some pointers on how to best care for your little one.

 

[okiechick57]

WOW.......poor little thing..........but......I had a sebright that lived a good long life with one like that........ took her a little longer to eat but she is alive and fat and happy

I wish the same for this one

 

[ozark hen]

thanks Okie and Jaynie. I have been looking at some posts here and have found some that have made it fine so I am hoping too!! It is funny that the other seven let her/him get in there and eat first but then she/he jumps on top the pile of food first. LOL I hope this little one does make it. A lot of the chicks seem to be becoming "speckled" with a darker color now but one looks to be blue and the other maybe lavender? I will post some pics of the rest for sexing from you guys on a different post after we get back from getting our taxes done............

 

[ozark hen]

Here she is at six weeks old. She is still eating and drinking but it looks much worse to me now. Scares me to death. I turned all the chicks out of their cage(that was inside the main coop for the last couple weeks)and put them with the main flock. No one bothered them at all. I was amazed. I was really afraid for this one. Capt. Jack Sparrow...low man on the totem pole in the flock...he tried to challenge one of the chicks but they stood up to him so I am afraid he may have gone to the bottom of their pecking order, too. He is so funny. They love being in the run and scratching in all the hay but run to me when I go in the run and let me pick them up and put them back inside at night.

 

[Tsagirl]

osark,
I have one that is 2 weeks with a very very severe sissor beak just like that one, almost idenical maybe worse. My chick who we have nammed "kerby"(curved beak..LOL) is still as fat as ever and just a sweetie. She is a EE chick and very awsome. So I guess we will keep it until it passes if it even does. Still a very FAT chick!

Good luck with yours, looks like a cutie!

Tsa

 

[SamG347]

I have one like that and she is a year old now! You just have to make sure the feeder is deep enough she can scoop feed and same with waterer. I will not consider putting my girl down until she really starts to suffer. Right now she is healthy and enjoying life.
Good Luck with yours!

 

[chickenannie]

I know nothing about this scissored beak situation, but looking at your pics, could the beak be gently, slowly corrected by "bracing" it to grow straight again? Like braces for teeth, or for a baby with ricket legs that wears braces until their legs grow straighter?

Again, I'm not informed about this problem, but it seems to me that trimming the beak will make the problem worse, not better. And since she's still young, perhaps trying to straighten it is still possible. ???