Cross Beak in 5 week old chick

[Jewellan]

Hello

I have a beautiful Polish chick that has the worst case of Cross Beak that I have seen this early on in it's development. I would like honest opinions on what I should do. What is the best thing to do for the chick? Would keeping her alive be cruel?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would watch it to see if it can eat and drink okay. Odds are the beak will get worse yet. It all depends on your feelings about it and whether you want to make accommodations for it.

I would see how it goes in the next few weeks, and cull if it appears it can't eat and drink. Some people feed their cross beak birds a wet mash or feed them in deeper dishes. I had one once and it did okay without extra help, but I don't think I would keep one that was extra work at this point as I've been down that road enough times, and it doesn't often go well.

 

[KittieChick]

That almost looks unfixable. Has it always been this way? I'm noticing the bird looks feathered out. Did it break it's mandible somehow? I had a young Nankin chick with a crossed beak, it never stopped cheeping. I finally, duh!, figured out it was starving to death. Brought it in the house, used the dog toenail clippers to trim the upper beak back and used a nail file to file the lower beak. She's about 6 months now, stunted in growth, but I haven't had to file her beak in several months. It's totally useable. But, I have to say, her beak wasn't as separated as this poor chicken's is.

 

[Jewellan]

That almost looks unfixable. Has it always been this way? I'm noticing the bird looks feathered out. Did it break it's mandible somehow? I had a young Nankin chick with a crossed beak, it never stopped cheeping. I finally, duh!, figured out it was starving to death. Brought it in the house, used the dog toenail clippers to trim the upper beak back and used a nail file to file the lower beak. She's about 6 months now, stunted in growth, but I haven't had to file her beak in several months. It's totally useable. But, I have to say, her beak wasn't as separated as this poor chicken's is.

This chick was born with Scissor beak. I noticed it when she was 2 days old. She is 4 weeks old here and is already unable to preen her feathers. I have never seen it this bad in such a young chick. And it just gets worse as they age. I already have one with Scissor beak and she does fine with a deep dish. But this little darling is doomed I think. And I hate to see her starve before she dies. It's hard.

 

[Eggcessive]

Wet feed and a deep dish is about all you can do. Sometimes beak trimming may help, but I can only refer your to this link to read:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/03/scissor-beak-aka-crossed-beak-what-it.html
https://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/Crossed-beak-overview-H254.aspx

 

[KittieChick]

This chick was born with Scissor beak. I noticed it when she was 2 days old. She is 4 weeks old here and is already unable to preen her feathers. I have never seen it this bad in such a young chick. And it just gets worse as they age. I already have one with Scissor beak and she does fine with a deep dish. But this little darling is doomed I think. And I hate to see her starve before she dies. It's hard.

Poor bird. Poor YOU!!!! I'm lucky in that I have a really experienced avian vet in my area. I'm wondering if the lower mandible could be brought into alignment over time by rubber banding it to the upper beak. Could be worth a try. I think they wear the rubber band 6 hours at a time or so. It must be struggling to eat by now, so you have nothing to lose, and it might work. She's a pretty chicken. Is the dark one scissor beaked also? Do you know what's causing it? (I have Papillons - a toy dog - and it's always interesting to research where 'things' come from....)

 

[alibabba]

I noticed just a few days ago by accident that one of my broody's chicks has cross beak. I've watched them run around from my porch everyday and feed and water in their pen, but mama hides them from me up close. I'm pretty much hands off chicken keeper.

So for all these weeks has been doing fine. It's not ridiculously severe, I guess. There is dry food stuck in the lower beak. So now I have some ideas to follow up. Trimming, rubber band every night maybe?

Any other ideas???

I try to give every critter a chance.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I definitely wouldn't do rubber bands, that could turn out bad. Generally you just wait and see how they do, and cull if it can't feed itself. Most cross beaked birds need an occasional trimming.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So for all these weeks has been doing fine. It's not ridiculously severe, I guess. There is dry food stuck in the lower beak. So now I have some ideas to follow up. Trimming, rubber band every night maybe?
Any other ideas???
I try to give every critter a chance.

If she continually has dry food stuck in her lower beak, you may want to keep that cleared away. Watch her to see that she is drinking o.k.

 

[alibabba]

I'm thinking the first step might be some filing and maybe a teeny nip wit nail clipper. She can't peck from ground, but can google from a full dish. I'll be doing some more looking around for tips.