crooked beak

[CUDA]

Most likely.

 

[princess araucana]

I have a hen with severe crossed beak, She was hatched as an elementary school project so not sure of the conditions, but parents may have been related.
I'll try and post a pic, she looks really really bad, completely deformed face. When she was a little tiny chick it was only slight and I thought it was cute! If I only knew what would happen!
It got worse quickly, had trouble eating, did not grow or gain weight, thought she would die or I was cruel for not ending her misery. Their feathers cover up how skinny they get.
I started feeding oatmeal mixed with yogurt or soymilk and regular feed as a wet mash and she started to get the hang of it.
SHe gained weight, is 7 months old now and seems pretty healthy and stable. She always has food on her face but sits patiently as the other girls pick food out of her feathers!

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Cross beaks get culled on my yard. I learned the hard way it's just not worth it.

 

[lurky]

I have one with a pretty bad crossbeak. I admit to spoiling her. She watches the others pick things up and she looks so jealous of their super abilities. I give her a special crock of food that she knows is her own. Its deep enough for her to scoop the mash right up

She began life a little underdeveloped.... But now she is a TANK. My silkie rooster still helps feed her. He knows she is special too. She is 6 mos old.

ETA: i got home from work to find her first egg

I worried she would not produce if she was not getting what she needed.

 

[katrinag]

Did it look like this?

 

[Cuban Longtails]

It amazes me that those things can even hatch.

 

[katrinag]

It made a small pip. I waited 24 hrs and nothing so I oped the shell and it was dead. I had 3 this hatch that did. All shipped eggs.

 

[chicken+quail=luv]

that is so sad. i feel so sorry for those chicks.

My hen was not born with it, and we noticed it when she was about... maybe 3 weeks old. it has worsened, and she only occasionally gets food from the ground. we feed her any liquid like things (yogurt,mashed potatoes, guacamole, french onion dip, and so on) and she occasionally gets worms (go chickie!). i am actually very worried she is slowly starving to death. oh well. she seems okay. i don't want her to die from starving. i've known her her whole life.

 

[chicken+quail=luv]

wait, not guacamole, avacado is bad for birds

 

[FarmerDenise]

I had a severely cross beaked chicken also. I am fortunate to have a vet who loves chickens and specializes in them.
He told me to feed her parrot baby food. It is very high nutritionally. Since they aren't able to eat as well, they need more calories. I also ended up tube feeding my little hen.
Unfortunately I was in a rush one day and put the tube down the into the lungs instead of the crop and killed my little pet.
I also took her to the vet once a month to get her beak trimmed. I finally bought myself a dremmel tool, and the vet showed me how to do it.