Cross-beak. Help please.

[LittleChickenLady]

I noticed today that my Silkies are starting to get crossed beaks.
I know it doesn't mean they will die, but I was wondering if I can do anything to keep it from getting any worse?
Does anyone know why this happens?

 

[LittleChickenLady]

Here are a couple more pictures.
Sorry they're not extremely good quality.

They weren't like this last week..

 

[NewToFarming]

How old are they?

 

[LittleChickenLady]

A little over a month old.

 

[the*chicken*chik]

i read somewhere this is genetic? bless their hearts.

 

[NewToFarming]

I had been told if it shows up later that it could be from pecking on something too hard within the first 48 hours of life but if it is present from almost hatch then it is genetic. When they do that it causes it to be misaligned and then as the grow it becomes more mislaigned and that is when you notice it.
I have one that didn't show up until she was 9 weeks old and I was told since it showed up later that it was not genetic and it is more from the pecking. I believe they were right because I never had another one. Only this little girl I had named Kriss Kross!

and I had hatched alot of chicks!

 

[ReikiStar]

Cross beaks can happen as a genetic deformity (of the skull) or if there was a spike in temperature during incubation. Those are the two main reasons I've heard. Are your Silkies related?

Talking to our feed store, we were theorizing that hatcheries don't know they are putting out cross beaks unless people tell them since two non-cross beaked birds can have the gene for the deformity and create cross beaked offspring. Also, I would imagine they have a LOT of breeding birds. If the parents aren't showing the deformity, they would have to cull all the birds and start over to rid their breeding program of the gene. Personally, I would like to see that happen. It's really crappy that cross beaks happen to good chickens.

(Chickenmom to a lovely cross beaked EE roo.)

 

[LittleChickenLady]

They're not related as far as I know. I bought them from a local feed store.
So what do I need to do with them?

 

[NewToFarming]

Maybe it is a silkie thing then because a silkie breeder told me when it shows up later it is most likely pecking on something hard within the first 48 hours of life and if it shows up pretty soon after hatch then you are looking at more of a genetic issue.

 

[mercedes]

My 4 week old EE started getting cross beaked very recently.She was fine when I brought her home and this just started after she turned 3 weeks old.I bought her and 5 others at a local feed store.I am not willing to cull unless things get very bad. I tried to do some research on this and the only advice I can find is beak trimming or giving bio-plasma cell salts.I ordered bio-plasma from imedmart.com and will give that a try.Hopefully you find a workable solution for your little one.