Cross Beak Silkie chick making funny noises... updated with pics 6/15

[lilchik]

I have a 2 week old Silkie chick with cross beak. It started to show at about 2-3 days old. It has gotten progressively worse. The chick is eating and drinking fine, gaining weight, and it feathering out nicely. She recently has started sqwuaking(SP.) like a parrot. She does it intermittently, otherwise makes the normal soft happy sounds chicks make when content. She also shakes her head while moving her tongue, which makes me wonder if food is getting stuck. She is eating medicated chick starter feed. I have not been feeding her any differently than the other chicks. But have been giving her poly-vi-sol 2 drops twice daily on her beak. I have done research on BYC about cross beak, some say they can live normal healthy life, others say no. My concern is the strange sqwuaking(SP.) noise. I am not sure if she is doing this because she is in pain and do not want her to suffer. I would like to give her a chance but not if she is going to be in pain. Any ideas?
She is in a brooder in the house, with other chicks. They do not pick on her, she was the 1st hatched...so the follow her around like she is the leader.

 

[Emzyyy]

Felix my crossbeaked she is also a silkie makes loud noises also but I wouldn't say it sounds like a parrot. My other crossbeak the sebright roo he sounds awful though when he tries to crow.

 

[lilchik]

So is this normal for a cross beak?

Anybody else with cross beaks that can help?

 

[Emzyyy]

There are some other threads about crossbeaks I really wouldn't worry about the noises as long as she is acting fine

 

[lilchik]

Okay, thanks. She does seem healthy. I am just worried. I would feel terrible if she were in pain and I didn't help her.

 

[lilchik]

This is a pic of my Silkie hens crossbeak.

She continues to make loud sqwuaking noises. She does it pretty frequently. She doesn't seem to sleep as much as the other chicks. But, she is still eating, drinking, and growing.

This is my first "special" chick. I can't help but to continue worrying about her.

Everyone that sees her seems to have the same reaction...OMG whats wrong with it. But to me, she is so sweet & beautiful.

 

[NotTheMomma]

That seems pretty severe at such a young age. Personally, I would cull. First because it will only get worse. Second because it could be genetic and I wouldn't want to chance some of her eggs getting mixed with others and hatching. And third, because of the ones I've read about that lived into adults, they eventually got to the point of not being able to eat. At that point, most people are very attached to them, and it makes culling that much harder. Thus you tend to keep putting off the culling, which only prolongs the suffering, and eventually it comes to a point where something MUST be done, like NOW, because the chicken is starving to death, and just wasting away.

That doesn't seem like a very good life to me.

Again, only my opinion, and you'll have to decide what is right for your bird, and you.

Best wishes! And huge huggles!

 

[astylishgirl]

I have a Silkie with minor cross beak so I am wondering if this is a Silkie problem? But your little chicks is so much worse then the chick we have.

I do not know what to tell you. But I understand your attachment. My "special" chicks are my favorite.

I would read the other crossbeak threads and keep us posted.

Also maybe someone who has had a chicken do well with a bad cross beaked problem will speak up?

 

[citalk2much]

We have a darling cross beak chicken who is now 1 year old and doing great from what I see in the picture you posted ours is worse I would give it a chance

 

[sookiesmom]

How is your sweet cross beaked chick? Did a search on silkie sounds & came across this thread. I'm hoping she's doing well!!!!