Cross beak EE pullet chick

[ChickFarmer]

I have a ee pullet chick with a cross beak. So far it is mild. The problem is I'm raising 219 chicks right now. ( I'm starting a pastured egg farm) I want to give her away to someone who has fewer chicks and can make sure she gets enough to eat. She hatched May 22nd is vaccinated for marek's, and my best guess is she will be a light blue or splash partridge in color, (like a welsummer with blue/splash). She is in a pasture brooder and eats chick starter just fine but I have yet to see her eat bugs or grass. This condition is a recesive genetic trait and she is not for breeding just a pet who lays eggs. She will need a deep feed dish and every so often her new owner will need to file her beak down a little. I'm in Lacey Washington. So if you are in the area, are raising chicks this spring and want one more send me a PM.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Just curious, but why do you have to file down a crossbeak?? What does it change or help. I have a 7 week old EE with the problem also. So far she's keeping up in size with her hatch mates. I don't know about her long term survival.

 

[ChickFarmer]

Chicken beaks keep growing. Normaly they wear down when the chicken pecks and digs for food. Crossbeak chickens don't wear it down evenly so they need a beak manicure every now and then.

 

[RaeRae2]

My avian vet told me it is very easy to fix a cross beaked chicken when they are babies. He uses a type of epoxy to build up one side of the bottom beak so the top physically cannot cross over. This causes it to grow straight and strengthen itself. He says usually around 6 or so weeks with the epoxy on the beak, and they are good to go, although ocassionally they have to have it redone another time.

 

[ChickFarmer]

I found info on that being done for parrots, but parrot crossbeak has a different cause. I 'll give it a try. Her crop was full last night.

 

[RaeRae2]

He does specialize in parrots, but I asked him if he'd ever successfully done this in a chicken. He said oh yes, chickens are much easier to fix than parrots! Hmmmm, so, I'm just passing along the information

 

[chickngranny]

do you know what kind of epoxy he uses or can he be contacted?

 

[chickngranny]

ihave an ee with the same thing and she is 9 weeks old.

 

[ChickFarmer]

Moving her lower beak over caused her to shriek in pain. So I didn't try the epoxy. I've taken a wait and see approch but now I think it's time to put her down. Sadly she can no longer feed herself. I have ben hand feeding her worms twice a day but she is not thriving.

 

[Panth]

I have a 6 week old polish with a sever crossbeak...I was thinking of putting him down also but the older he gets, the easier it is getting to feed him. He is doing fine on his own with a gloopy mixture of yogurt/egg/wheatbread/chick starter. When he was smaller I had to help him eat, but he can swollow bigger chunks now. The downside is I have to feed him seperately from my other chickens but he is incredibly friendly and follows me everywhere. If you don't mind offering yours seperate food, making some that is really mushy might help her eat.