Crossbeak

[Must Be Losing It]

I have a 7 week old belgium antwerp who has a horrible case of crossbeak. My vet suggested I put her down, but she is the sweetest of the three hens. Does anyone have proven suggestions that may work?

 

[arlee453]

You will need to provide a deep dish for her to eat - crumbles are best so she can sort of scoop it up in the lower beak.

Unfortunately cross beaks tend to just get worse and worse over time until the chicken isn't able to feed itself.

Try the deeper dishes, etc and she may do OK. If or when it becomes apparent she can't get enough to eat to stay healthy and well then it may be time to consider letting her go rather than suffer a slow starvation.

You may also need to trim back the upper beak if it overgrows so it doesn't interfere worse with eating.

Also, (to state the obvious) I would not use that hen for hatching eggs.

 

[hippichick]

I don't have any suggestions on treatment, but I do have a 4 month old d'uccle who has really bad crossbeak, and he is doing just fine. He eats pellets with my goats, and is just as healthy as my other chickens. I put feed in a deep dish for him, but he prefers the pellets. I guess they're easier for him to eat. Good luck.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I've got a banty cochin with a cross beak. It's not terrible but it does give her a hard time in picking up seeds and bugs sometimes. She's an easy target for the other birds to steal her treats.

I say that as long as the bird is thriving (putting on weight and not starving), leave it be but don't allow it to breed.

 

[Must Be Losing It]

I think I'll stick to the deep dick method. She is growing and fending for herself just fine. And she's definately learned I'm her "mom".

I had talked to my husband, he said the same thing. As long as she's thriving why do anything.

Does trimming the beak help?

 

[peapatch]

how do you trim the beak on a cross beak chicken????

 

[Dodgegal79]

I have a EE with it, really bad to. She is about 3 months old not and she is doing fine. She even beats up the other chicken, I am very impressed with her. My boys have named her "crookedbeak", lol, really orginial, but they are tempted to enter her in the pet parade at the fall fair under the unusal pets.