Crossbeak Ameraucana

[Inthetetons]

Does anyone else have a cross beak? I have a 2 year old Ameraucana with a crossbeak. she can't really peck much food off the ground, but she does well with crumble feed in a deep trough. Wondering if anyone else has one and has any tips on keeping her happy and healthy. She is a great layer and my most friendly chicken (despite the fox attack PTSD, but that's another story).

 

[StinkyAcres]

@JustBabyMargo

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

Looks like an Easter egger though. @Lacy Duckwing

 

[Eggcessive]

I have never had a crossbeak chicken, but hers looks pretty serious. She may have trouble grooming herself and preening. I would help her dust bathe if she has trouble. People do sometimes trim the beaks slightly with dog nail clippers and a file to help the beak come together better. Be careful not to trim into the quick. Here is a good article that may help you:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/scissor-beak-aka-crossed-beak-what-it/

https://meyerhatchery.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017990812-Cross-Beak-Causes-and-Management

 

[ChickyWhicky]

I have a crossbeak hen, as well. Not quite as severe as your girl but still pretty badly crossed. She struggles with picking up things from the ground but eats from the feeder fine. I have not trimmed my girls beak but have heard that can help in this situation. I have also heard people say moistening the feed (with yogurt, for example) can help with their ability to pick it up. I also feed crumbles as I'm not sure she could do pellets. I don't give mine any special treatment, other than if I do feed snacks I try to hand feed her a little so she still gets to enjoy it, since she struggles to pick it up from the ground. Just be mindful of her weight, if she drops weight then you may need to reassess the situation. She's lovely, btw!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@MottsHomestead has a good tutorial about hand feeding a cross beak bird, you may want to check that out.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...eeding-what-is-it-and-when-to-use-it.1532744/

 

[Inthetetons]

I have never had a crossbeak chicken, but hers looks pretty serious. She may have trouble grooming herself and preening. I would help her dust bathe if she has trouble. People do sometimes trim the beaks slightly with dog nail clippers and a file to help the beak come together better. Be careful not to trim into the quick. Here is a good article that may help you:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/scissor-beak-aka-crossed-beak-what-it/

https://meyerhatchery.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017990812-Cross-Beak-Causes-and-Management

Thank you for the link to the article. I've read that too - about trimming but have been hesitant. I'll check out the article and could clip to a safe length and file from there. Yes, marigold's is severe. She gets food and water that dribbles down her front and can get caked on - I help her with that. She seems to dust bathe OK on her own.

We actually had two crossbeaks but the other was lost in a fox attack - a sad loss. I've read that it's a common problem with Ameraucanas. I've had 8 Ameraucanas in total, 6 of which were fine.

 

[Inthetetons]

I have a crossbeak hen, as well. Not quite as severe as your girl but still pretty badly crossed. She struggles with picking up things from the ground but eats from the feeder fine. I have not trimmed my girls beak but have heard that can help in this situation. I have also heard people say moistening the feed (with yogurt, for example) can help with their ability to pick it up. I also feed crumbles as I'm not sure she could do pellets. I don't give mine any special treatment, other than if I do feed snacks I try to hand feed her a little so she still gets to enjoy it, since she struggles to pick it up from the ground. Just be mindful of her weight, if she drops weight then you may need to reassess the situation. She's lovely, btw!

Thanks for sharing. Your experience sounds very similar to mine. Marigold gets pretty babied and since she's one of the only 2 older gals, all the other hens show her respect. When i toss out scratch & peck I leave the bucket open for a bit, she hops up there and eats some. I think I have my courage up enough to give her a trim. I need to pick up some of the stuff you put on if you nick the quick or I think I heard cornstarch works. Just to have on hand - I hope to god I don't cut her.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

I could help you find the quick and show you just how far you should trim it back! I have three crossbeaks, and I have done tons of trimming. Sorry I’m late, she’s a very gorgeous girl!

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Alright, this is about as far as you would be able to trim, notice how you are looking to only trim the clear-ish looking ends of her beak. She’s got quite a bit, but it’s not too bad considering her age. Definitely take it slow and easy your first time. Don’t worry too much about trimming it all back, especially not until you get more experienced and get better at finding that clearer part that can be trimmed off. The black represents the quick, and the purple is the part that you could safely trim off, but even I wouldn’t go that far. What I drew is not perfect, so definitely double check on your hen to make sure.

This is as far as I would go-

I would leave her lower beak longer so she is still able to scoop the feed in, but it looks like the sides need trimmed.

If you are worried, I would just start with this-

Remember to go slow and just do as much as you feel comfortable with. Take it little bits at a time. Do a bit, wait a few days, and come back and do a bit more, it really won’t make a difference. It’s honestly best to trim it slowly and gradually (like doing it small bits at a time every few days) as it allows the hen to gradually get used to it. The important thing is that you just go slow and get the feel for it before diving in and doing something you’ll regret.

Hope that helps! Good luck! Keep us updated!