Crooked Beak

[mc79]

I have an Olive Egger that was born with a pretty bad beak deformity. The lower beak goes left. She's around 2 weeks old, and is eating and drinking just fine, along with being a happy energetic little gal. Is this going to become a problem as she gets older?

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Your sweet chick has a cross beak. As it gets older it may or may not get worse. As long as it is eating and drinking now it will be okay. Keep monitoring her intake. I am unfamiliar with all that goes with caring for a chicken with a cross beak, hopefully someone with experience will chime in. Good luck!!!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

It'll likely get worse as she grows, though every case is unique. You may have to trim or file down her beak for her as she grows, or feed her a wet diet to make it easier for her to eat.

Here's a good article about crossbeaks: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...kens-including-tube-feeding-techniques.64321/

 

[Folly's place]

This will be a high maintenance individual, and will need to be carefully monitored, so she doesn't have to die of starvation.
Deep dishes with crumble or mash, and have it be a complete feed, not home made! An all-flock feed or chick feed, not layer. Deep water dishes too. She won't be able to pick items off the ground, so make sure she always has easily available food in that deep dish.
Sometimes trimming the beak helps; it tends to get much worse over time.
Be prepared to euthanize her when she gets thinner than her flockmates. My first cross-beak lived too long, and was weak from starvation before I dealt with the sad situation. Don't wait too long!
Mary

 

[cmom]

This is my Gladys she is almost 3 years old.

 

[cmom]

I do have to keep her beak trimmed.

 

[Folly's place]

She's one of the lucky ones! It does take effort, and the OP needs to realize that; that's likely why mc asked about it.
Mary

 

[mc79]

Thank you all for the information! I don't mind this little beauty being high maintenance. All of my birds receive high maintenance from me, whether they need it or not...lol.

 

[PouleChick]

I had a lovely little Araucana called Edward Scissorbeak. I wanted to give him a chance as he seemed to be eating (all day) but I think he wasn't getting much as it soon became apparent he was much smaller than his siblings, his feathers even looked too big for him in the end. It was a really tough decision to euthanise him but my only regret was that I didnt' do it sooner.

Be prepared to euthanize her when she gets thinner than her flockmates. My first cross-beak lived too long, and was weak from starvation before I dealt with the sad situation. Don't wait too long!
Mar

I wish I'd listened to Mary earlier as she also posted on my thread! I will defiantly cull earlier if I get another. It didn't even show up for a week or so and was really bad by a month.

 

[cmom]

I normally would cull too, but Gladys slipped through. Now I can't do it.