Crossbeak?

[Chicken Elizabeth]

I think I'm beginning to see the signs of a crossbeak in this Isa Brown chick. She's about three and a half weeks old and I just noticed it. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from getting any worse? The pictures aren't great because the chick was wiggling.

 

[GodLovesU]

A picture from the front can help confirm, but it does look like a cross-beak. As far as I know, there’s nothing you can do to fix it. It will probably get worse as she grows. I have a cross-beak hen, and I have issues in the flock with her because she is a bantam. With yours, I would just make sure she is eating well, and maintaining a healthy weight. I actually currently have a cross-beak contest if you would like to enter a cute picture of her. Good luck!

 

[Chicken Elizabeth]

A picture from the front can help confirm, but it does look like a cross-beak. As far as I know, there’s nothing you can do to fix it. It will probably get worse as she grows. I have a cross-beak hen, and I have issues in the flock with her because she is a bantam. With yours, I would just make sure she is eating well, and maintaining a healthy weight. I actually currently have a cross-beak contest if you would like to enter a cute picture of her. Good luck!

Thank you! Right now she's eating fine and is a healthy weight because the bottom half of her beak is still completely covered by the top half. But when it gets worse, how do I make sure she's getting enough to eat?

 

[GodLovesU]

You could regularly weigh her. On more severe cross-beaks (which this doesn’t look to be) some people tube feed. I occasionally offer mine scrambled eggs or wet her feed so it’s easier to eat.

 

[rosemarythyme]

TUrn off red light in photos, it's impossible to see anything.

Mild crossbeaks can be maintained with occasional trimming/filing down of overgrowth. Deep dishes for food and water can help with eating and drinking (though mine have done fine with a nipple waterer, though it took them longer to figure it out).

 

[GodLovesU]

TUrn off red light in photos, it's impossible to see anything.

Mild crossbeaks can be maintained with occasional trimming/filing down of overgrowth. Deep dishes for food and water can help with eating and drinking (though mine have done fine with a nipple waterer, though it took them longer to figure it out).

Forgot to mention trimming.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Forgot to mention trimming.

I should've added, don't worry about trimming on a chick - they're too tiny and you want to see how the issue develops before taking action. A very mild crossbeak may not need any intervention at all, or very little.