Cross Beak, need advice and how to..

[definetlydeb]

Hello everyone, I am in need of some help and as always have gotten the help i need here. So once again I turn to you and thank you in advance. I have a three and a half wk old chick that has cross beak, it has gotten much worse and I guess i need to know what to do and how. This chick is the largest of the four and so full of life, i would trully like to help him in any way possible. Thanks so much for the help. Deb

 

[wren]

Keep the food pans full so that your baby can eat easily. If they get too empty, he won't be able to pick up the food. I wouldn't use any feeder that limits the manner in which the chickens can get food out (narrow openings, rotating anti-perch). Also sprinkle grit on top-it will be easier for him to pick up. Other than that find a avian vet for beak trims. Is it the top or the bottom beak or both? My baby Goldie's bottom beak sticks out at an odd angle and she has learned to use her tounge as a bottom beak. Hope this helps.

Any other ideas out there?

 

[definetlydeb]

Thanks so much, I believe that it is the bottom of it's beak mainly, however could be both, never seen this before other than in pics. But I can definetly see more of the bottom beak today, sure wish it would just go away. Oh well, I will do my best to baby it and keep it happy. Thanks again for your help.

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Cross beak is a skull deformity. The plates of the skull don't develope evenly so the beak is forced to twist as the chick grows. Sadly it will only get worse the bigger the bird gets. It is genetic so you don't want to use this bird for breeding.

As suggested to eat this bird needs deep dishs of feed to scoop feed up as it can't peck it up. Trimming the beak ends so that they meet up better will help him alot. Deep water as well and watch him in hot weather as they can dry out their tounge and then get sinus infections or mouth thrush.

 

[thndrdancr]

When I had my lil crossbeak, Dhlunicorn posted this for me
I didnt get it in time, as my lil gal died before I was able to get it. I guess it MAY, possibly MAY help. I kick myself that I didnt find out about it earlier, it might have made a dif. Anyway she just wasnt getting enuff to eat, and was so hungry all the time, but soooo full of energy and such an ornery lil thing, following me everywhere. I tried the softer foods, but she was real picky and I had a terrible time getting food in her, she just finally died of starvation I do believe and I didnt realize cuz I was trying so hard to get food in her.

If she is 3 weeks already, it may be too late, and it does generally get worse as they get older. Some make it, but I think most just arent able to adapt. My girl JUST couldnt figure out why she wasnt able to peck things up off a straight floor and even tho I had a deep dish, just never got a handle on how to scoop instead of peck.

This is the info she posted for me....


(4/11/07 9:58 pm)
Reply

Cross beak TREATMENT measure
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is SOMEtimes effective in treating crossbeak:
www.avianmedicine.net/avmedpp/0045.htm
Use of Penetran for Beak Malocclusion
Greg J. Harrison, DVM, Dipl. ABVP Avian
Lake Worth, FL
Topical application of Penetran is effective for avian skin rashes,local irritations and ulcerations. It can be mixed with aloe vera liquid for generalized dermatologic conditions. Because it has penetrating properties, I have used it to treat some deeper muscular problems.
In two cases of a serious beak malocclusion with underbite, the only therapy was application of Penetran to the facial muscles including the periopthalmic areas. In a ten-day-old cockatoo, the muscles relaxed and the beak returned to normal positioning overnight; a full week of Penetran application and prolonged periods of manual positioning of the beak were also successful in a four-week-old cockatoo.
Penetran is a commercially available ammonium solution from
TransDermal Technologies, Inc. (800-676-7354).

 

[silkiechicken]

I have a cross beak about 5 weeks old who's bottom beak is at a 45 degree angle from the top and the top beak curves down like a parrots. To make it worse, the top beak has grown around the bottom one to where a new crease has formed. I have to put it in a deep feed box every day to make sure it eats enough to have a full crop at least twice a day. I plan on culling it when it is meaty enough to eat. It's hard to make a living as a chicken with out the use of it's main tool in life. His cross beak didn't appear until about 3 weeks old.

 

[hensnchix]

I'm not an expert on this at all, but we have a 10 week old cross beaked chick (we call her our "cross beak special.") She is very cute, very affectionate, very needy for attention and always hungry. Can scoop up food from a deep dish, but is the first to sound the alarm when the food gets low ("PEEEEEP! PEEEEP!") She can eat watermelon, but can't pick up stuff like pasta, greens or other food scraps.

In the last week, alas, I've started to get the sense that she's just not thriving. She's very, very light--must weigh half as much as the other chicks of the same age. We'll keep trying to keep her alive, but I don't have high hopes at this point. We'll definitely be sad if she dies, as she's been such a fun chick to raise. That said, i have heard stories of chickens making it with crossed beak...

Susan

 

[dlhunicorn]

here is the link to my info on this condition :
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=emergencies&action=display&num=1181107125