Crooked beak...cause? Genetic or not?

[19hhbelgian]

I have a polish hen with a crooked beak. I trim it so she can eat normal, and be comfortable, otherwise she can't close her mouth all the way

My question is this. Is crooked beak genetic, or caused by something gone wrong in the egg? Or is there some other reason for it?? I won't use her for breeding if it can be passed along - I don't want to throw it into the genetic pool any further than it has gone up to now. She's a very cute little girl, and is welcome to stay here whether I can hatch her eggs or not

I just want to know for sure (or as close to it as I can get

) Thanks in advance!!


ETA: Wasn't quite sure if this was where I should post this question, or if it should have been in the "Breeds,Genetics,..." category.

 

[cw]

friendly bump
as i dont know

 

[Emzyyy]

Most of the time I think its genetic. I also had a scissor beaked bird. Mine worsened as it grew. Goodluck.

They have awsome personalities! because of all the extra attention.

 

[19hhbelgian]

Darn, but thank you for your input! I figured it was genetic, but wasn't positive - I've heard different things from people. She's already a nice girl, and handling her is easy... She should really suck up the extra attention

 

[SilverPhoenix]

I think it can be either a genetic mess-up or some sort of malformation in the bird when it's forming. Just guessing, though, I don't know for certain. If they can eat all right, they generally do just fine, though! My friend and I used to call these chickens "freaky beaks" when we were growing up. It sounds like your girl is a sweety, hopefully she won't have any problems!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i've heard it's genetic, but honestly do not know for certain. i hatched one cross beak out of 6 adorable showgirls from purchased eggs. The others were fine. So maybe it is something that happens in the egg.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Most of the ones I've ran across have been caused by genentics but right now I have a young pullet that was born with a normal appearing beak. Then all the sudden she had a sore develop right beneath her nasal passage on one side and this caused her beak to grow crooked. The sore later healed but the top beak is still crooked. I have trimmed it back as close to straight as possible and so far it seems to be coming back in straighter every time I cut it back. Now beings that I know that a sore caused this and it is getting more normal I will not worry to much about her passing on this defect but if she would have been born like that then I would not hatch any chicks from her eggs.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I want to expand on this if possible. I understand that a cross-beak, or crooked beak is genetic. Birds like this hsould not be used for breeding. But what about scissor beak? When the beak appears totally normal in size and shape, but the top and bottom don't totally line up?

 

[19hhbelgian]

That's a great question! I'm not using her for breeding, but she is a cutie so has a great place to stay

I never realized there were different types of beak deformities. My girls beak looks normal, it just doesn't line up which prevents her from closing her mouth all the way, so I carefully trim it so she can close her beak. Now I wonder if it's crooked beak or scissor.

Either way I'll just have her as a pet

Play it safe!

 

[Wynette]

I've heard that scissor (or crossed) beak is an incubation issue when it begins shortly after hatch, but that if it doesn't show itself until later (typically 4-6 weeks), it's genetic. I'm not a geneticist, so I don't know for certain, but that's what my vet told me when I had a pretty little black ameraucana pullet I'd take in for major trims every other month.