*Crooked Beak??*

[Tripp16]

Hi everyone.

Well I have been watching one of my silkie chicks grow (I hatched them) and I noticed that her beak was crossing over to where you can see the bottom of her beak on one side and the top on the other side.

It doesnt seem like it is bothering her now but in the future if it keeps growing will it become an issue?

If so what should I do?

Thanks in advance!

 

[True Grit]

When I had a crooked beaked girl I fed her out of a deep bowl. If i gave watermelon or tomatoes I cut them up into pieces she could easily eat. If you feed her treats be sure to sprinkle grit on top of them ie I used to give her some scratch, mealworms and sun flower in a bowl sprinkled with grit. She did really well and eventually even laid. She passed away but was in fine shape when she did so I am not sure why.

 

[CMV]

The crooked beak should stop progressing about the age of 18 weeks- give or take a few weeks. Deep feed and water dishes are very helpful. Trimming the beak as needed to optimize its usefulness can be helpful. Nutrient dense snacks are a good option. And some folks choose to feed a wet mash instead of pelleted feed because it is easier to scoop up and get inside the bird.

I hope this helps. Good luck with her.

 

[Tripp16]

Thanks for the help. I will try that.

I have been reading on other topics and I also posted in the Old Timers thread hoping to get some advice but their answer was to cull. I just cant bare the thought of culling this little girl if it isnt needed. She seems to be getting along just fine when she becomes unhappy or no longer can live normally thats when the sad thing must happen.

Thanks again for your responses I will definetely try the wet mash thing she only seems to struggle with eating treats. Im going to try and shave her beak down a bit today.

 

[CMV]

Culling a crooked beak is often done because this is a genetic condition that is frequently worse in subsequent generations. Anyone with a large poultry yard who allows birds to breed has no way of knowing which eggs come from the crooked beaked bird, so there is a risk of allowing these genetically flawed birds to perpetuate. The offspring are sometimes so horribly deformed as to be not compatible with life. So, it is often in a poultry keeper's best interest to just cull crooked beaks at the outset. It's not kind, but it is practical and economical.

 

[Christiney]

Hi I got a girl last september with a crooked beak. I knew she had a crooked beak when I got her. My chickens are pets and I dont plan on breeding.
So I just worked the beak back with a dremal. I put the dremal on slow. Dont hold the dremal to the beak for long it will heat up the beak and burn the bird. The beak will grind back very fast . I gave her a deep dish to eat out of. At first she was a little lighter in weight then the other birds but she finally caught up. She is doing really well and the beak is straightening out .