cross beak- PICS PLEASE HELP!

[nursecat9]

1 of my 2 week old today chicks has a cross beak. Up until today, she seemed able to drink and eat OK. She was as big as the other chicks and seemed to weight as much too. Today, I haven't seen her eat or drink. I dipped her beak in some water and she did seem to swallow some, but she's just standing around and sleeping. She just doesn't act right. Should I try to trim this beak, and if so, with what? Nail trimmers? This is the 1 chick my autistic dd has picked out as her own, and now I'm afraid we're going to lose her.

Please help!

 

[astylishgirl]

Can you post a pic? How bad is the cross beak? I have a chick with this who is doing fine, but his was not horrible.

 

[nursecat9]

I don't know how to post pics....once I upload, then what? Sorry, I'm really computer stupid!

 

[nursecat9]

 

[nursecat9]

 

[nursecat9]

OK, so I did a little more research. I did trim the top beak just a little. No real bleeding. I've been dipping her beak in sugar water a couple times every hour, and she seems to have a little more energy. I mixed sugar water with her mash and tried to give to her, but she wouldn't have anything to do with it. I have not seen her at the waterer or her feed since last night. I really don't want to see her suffer, but don't want to cull her if there's a chance. Please give me some advice. Thanks!

 

[silkiechicken]

That is a pretty bad crossbeak to be that twisted at so young. It is generally a genetic skull plate deformity which you can't really fix by trimming because if you do trim at the extent it is bent, you'll hit the quick and the bone of the beak way before anything can be aligned.

Bone structure in the beak:

You can try keeping the little guy alive by feeding soft food in a mash that is in a really deep dish, but if you think it's quality of life will suffer, it may be the best to cull if you can't keep up with feeding it multiple times a day or keeping it hydrated properly.

 

[ChickieKeeta]

This is a photo of a chick I had last year. She was smaller
than the others and then I noticed the beak. I wet her crumbles and also gave them dry but in a deeper dish. She followed me every where & would sit with me. She disappeared on a fall day.

I have a chick now with cross beak. I will get a photo.
She is doing well. Good luck with your chick.

This is the chick I have now. hatched April third. I noticed her beak at 2 weeks. She does incredibly
well. I don't do anything special for her.

 

[nursecat9]

Thanks so much for your responses. I've been giving her sugar water every hour. She will not try to eat, even with deep dish and making a "mush" with water and mash. I've seen her poo 3 times in the last 6 hours though, so something must be going in....right? Did talk to my dd, and she agreed she doesn't want to see her suffer. Will see how she does thru the night.

 

[WilczenskiFarm]

Keep us posted...