Crossed Beak and Broody hen…😳 advice needed!

[Mrs J]

My little showgirl hatched on 16th March, I have noticed in the last 2 days her beak has started crossing, today it seems a lot worse than yesterday. The other 8 are perfectly fine. She was very wobbly to start with when she hatched and seemed quite weak, but her beak was perfectly aligned. So I put nutri drench in their water and she was fine after a few days. Could I possibly tape the tip of her beak with sterry strips (the kind used for butterfly stitches) to see if that rectifies the problem? If not, how is best to look after her? Also I have my first ever broody, she is fierce!! She starts growling when I go near her. The trouble is, she has made her nest in another stable away from the others, can I move her? If not, will this be a problem when she goes back into the flock with her chicks? Also she doesn’t seem to get off her nest to even eat or drink Should I be worried?

 

[NatJ]

My little showgirl hatched on 16th March, I have noticed in the last 2 days her beak has started crossing, today it seems a lot worse than yesterday. The other 8 are perfectly fine. She was very wobbly to start with when she hatched and seemed quite weak, but her beak was perfectly aligned. So I put nutri drench in their water and she was fine after a few days. Could I possibly tape the tip of her beak with sterry strips (the kind used for butterfly stitches) to see if that rectifies the problem? If not, how is best to look after her?

I have no personal experience with crossbeak chicks.

I have read that it usually gets worse as the chicken grows, but at some point it stabilizes.
I have not read of any way to fix it, but some people trim or file the tip if it gets too long (since it does not wear down the way a normal chicken's beak would.)

Depending on how bad the crossbeak becomes, the chicken may do fine, or it may need help eating & drinking. Common tips include deep dishes, crumble feed rather than pellets, and serving food as a wet mash (add water so it turns into a mush.) Crossbeak chickens may need to be separated from the flock to have a private meal once or twice a day.

Also I have my first ever broody, she is fierce!! She starts growling when I go near her. The trouble is, she has made her nest in another stable away from the others, can I move her?

It is often best to have a broody sit on eggs in a place where the other hens can not get to her nest. If other hens add eggs, the hen will have some chicks hatched and some eggs that still need incubating. The hen cannot be leading chicks to food while she is also sitting on eggs. So it is best to have all chicks hatch within a day or two of each other, which means giving the hen a clutch of eggs all at once and not letting other hens add eggs later.

If you want to move the broody, go ahead and try. She may go back to the nest she chose (if she is able to.) Or she may happily sit where you put her. Or she may pace back and forth for a few days, trying to get back, and then quit being broody. I have had some hens that were willing to be moved, and others that refused to sit anywhere except the nest they had chosen. I cannot predict what your hen will do.

If not, will this be a problem when she goes back into the flock with her chicks?

After the chicks hatch, you can move the hen and chicks to a pen beside or in the main pen, and they can start getting acquainted with the flock through a wire fence.

Broody hens with eggs may be hard to move, but I've found that a hen with chicks is fairly easy to move. She cares more about being with her chicks than about going back to the same nest. (There may be hens that act differently, but I have not yet found one.)

Also she doesn’t seem to get off her nest to even eat or drink Should I be worried?

Most hens will get off once or twice a day to eat and drink, but they will do it when you are not watching. I suggest you feel her crop to see if she has food in it. If she has food in her crop, then you know she did eat, even if you did not see it happen.

You can feel the crops on a few other hens for practice, before trying a grumpy broody. The crop is at the base of the neck in the front, often a little to one side, and it usually ranges from empty in the morning (hard to find) to stuffed at bedtime (very easy to find.)

Laying hens usually have some fat stored in their body, and a collection of egg yolks in various sizes (a big one for tomorrow's egg, a slightly smaller one for the next day, and so forth.) Broody hens reabsorb those egg yolks, and use their stored fat, and they are not very active. This means they do not need as much food as an active laying hen. Eating once or twice a day can be enough for them while they are sitting.

 

[Mrs J]

I have no personal experience with crossbeak chicks.

I have read that it usually gets worse as the chicken grows, but at some point it stabilizes.
I have not read of any way to fix it, but some people trim or file the tip if it gets too long (since it does not wear down the way a normal chicken's beak would.)

Depending on how bad the crossbeak becomes, the chicken may do fine, or it may need help eating & drinking. Common tips include deep dishes, crumble feed rather than pellets, and serving food as a wet mash (add water so it turns into a mush.) Crossbeak chickens may need to be separated from the flock to have a private meal once or twice a day.


It is often best to have a broody sit on eggs in a place where the other hens can not get to her nest. If other hens add eggs, the hen will have some chicks hatched and some eggs that still need incubating. The hen cannot be leading chicks to food while she is also sitting on eggs. So it is best to have all chicks hatch within a day or two of each other, which means giving the hen a clutch of eggs all at once and not letting other hens add eggs later.

If you want to move the broody, go ahead and try. She may go back to the nest she chose (if she is able to.) Or she may happily sit where you put her. Or she may pace back and forth for a few days, trying to get back, and then quit being broody. I have had some hens that were willing to be moved, and others that refused to sit anywhere except the nest they had chosen. I cannot predict what your hen will do.


After the chicks hatch, you can move the hen and chicks to a pen beside or in the main pen, and they can start getting acquainted with the flock through a wire fence.

Broody hens with eggs may be hard to move, but I've found that a hen with chicks is fairly easy to move. She cares more about being with her chicks than about going back to the same nest. (There may be hens that act differently, but I have not yet found one.)

Most hens will get off once or twice a day to eat and drink, but they will do it when you are not watching. I suggest you feel her crop to see if she has food in it. If she has food in her crop, then you know she did eat, even if you did not see it happen.

You can feel the crops on a few other hens for practice, before trying a grumpy broody. The crop is at the base of the neck in the front, often a little to one side, and it usually ranges from empty in the morning (hard to find) to stuffed at bedtime (very easy to find.)

Laying hens usually have some fat stored in their body, and a collection of egg yolks in various sizes (a big one for tomorrow's egg, a slightly smaller one for the next day, and so forth.) Broody hens reabsorb those egg yolks, and use their stored fat, and they are not very active. This means they do not need as much food as an active laying hen. Eating once or twice a day can be enough for them while they are sitting.

Thank you for your advice! It is really appreciated I was panicking that my broody was going to starve, so it is good to know she has a backup and will still be eating and drinking. I will check her crop tonight and again in the morning. I don’t even know how many eggs she is sitting on. My little cross beak Lola, I’ve been watching and she is drinking and trying to eat. I’ve been feeding sloppy food through a syringe to make sure she is getting enough. My dilemma is wether to cull her or not, you mentioned it gets worse as they grow, I would hate to put her through this, and then her getting worse as she’s older
@JustBabyMargo i know you have crossed beaks, are they able to clean themselves etc…and how do you manage them? I will post a picture of her as soon as I get one so you can compare and see if it is severe. Thanks again @NatJ

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I had a cross beak. And she was able to eat, drink, and clean herself. I ended up getting rid of her she went to a friend and she is over a year old and still actibg like a normal chicken.

 

[Mrs J]

Thank you for your advice! It is really appreciated I was panicking that my broody was going to starve, so it is good to know she has a backup and will still be eating and drinking. I will check her crop tonight and again in the morning. I don’t even know how many eggs she is sitting on. My little cross beak Lola, I’ve been watching and she is drinking and trying to eat. I’ve been feeding sloppy food through a syringe to make sure she is getting enough. My dilemma is wether to cull her or not, you mentioned it gets worse as they grow, I would hate to put her through this, and then her getting worse as she’s older
@JustBabyMargo i know you have crossed beaks, are they able to clean themselves etc…and how do you manage them? I will post a picture of her as soon as I get one so you can compare and see if it is severe. Thanks again @NatJ

 

[NatJ]

I was panicking that my broody was going to starve, so it is good to know she has a backup and will still be eating and drinking. I will check her crop tonight and again in the morning. I don’t even know how many eggs she is sitting on.

I would check the eggs, and mark them, so you can be sure no others get added later.

Just lift the hen off, sit her down somewhere else, and look at the eggs. It will not hurt the eggs to have the broody be off for a little while. If you can sit the broody next to the food and water while you mess with the eggs, she might have a meal at the same time (which could make you feel better, even if it doesn't make much difference for her.)

My little cross beak Lola, I’ve been watching and she is drinking and trying to eat. I’ve been feeding sloppy food through a syringe to make sure she is getting enough. My dilemma is wether to cull her or not, you mentioned it gets worse as they grow, I would hate to put her through this, and then her getting worse as she’s older

If she seems to need help to get enough food, I would consider whether you can commit to helping her every day long term-- some people can, but some people cannot. I think culling is kinder than starvation, but providing the right care can be better yet, when it is possible.

You could try weighing a few of your chicks, including Lola the crossbeak, and make a note of their weights. Check every week or so to see if she is growing at the same rate as the others. If she grows just as fast as they do, she is getting enough food and is probably healthy. If she does not grow as fast, then either she needs more food, or she has some other problem that also affects her ability to grow.

 

[Mrs J]

I would check the eggs, and mark them, so you can be sure no others get added later.

Just lift the hen off, sit her down somewhere else, and look at the eggs. It will not hurt the eggs to have the broody be off for a little while. If you can sit the broody next to the food and water while you mess with the eggs, she might have a meal at the same time (which could make you feel better, eve if it doesn't make much difference for her.)


If she seems to need help to get enough food, I would consider whether you can commit to helping her every day long term-- some people can, but some people cannot. I think culling is kinder than starvation, but providing the right care can be better yet, when it is possible.

You could try weighing a few of your chicks, including Lola the crossbeak, and make a note of their weights. Check every week or so to see if she is growing at the same rate as the others. If she grows just as fast as they do, she is getting enough food and is probably healthy. If she does not grow as fast, then either she needs more food, or she has some other problem that also affects her ability to grow.

Brilliant!! I will go and mark them right now before dinner! I never even thought of doing anything like that i checked Lola’s crop before and she has been eating the crumb, I also saw her drinking which is a positive I best go and dig my scales out! Thank you so much

 

[JustBabyMargo]

She is so cute!

Yes, my crossbeaks can clean themselves, and eat and drink on their own, as long as I keep their beaks trimmed down. I provide crumbles and dip-beak waterers, and they eat and drink like a regular chicken. Mine are separate from my main flock and live with the special needs flock, so they don’t have any trouble getting what they need.

How I trim my girls’ beaks:


You will want to trim the beak regularly (once every 2-4 weeks), depending on the chicken, so you will need to keep an eye on how it grows. Trim based on her specific needs and growth.

You can use dog nail clippers, a grinder tool (this is what I recommend), or a nail file. Be aware that you will most likely have to do this often, so you will need to keep an eye on it.

This is what I do for my crossbeaks:

1. Wrap her in a towel to keep her from flapping, and flip her on her back like that.
2. Next, grab the top part of her beak, and keep it separated from her bottom part. Pay extra attention to not accidentally trim her tongue. Go slowly and calmly as to not stress her out. Clip, or grind, the beak down gradually.
3. Repeat the step above, but with the bottom part of her beak, again paying attention to her tongue and making sure she is calm.
(Step 2 and 3 can be switched around, but I think doing the top beak first is easiest.)
4. Once you are done, gently unwrap her, and let her go back to her coop.

*Be sure not to accidentally hit the quick of her beak! It will bleed if not done right, and it can be very painful for her. Less is better than more.*

Here is a picture that shows the quick, and what to look for, really well. It is a picture of a bird’s nail, but nails and beaks of birds are actually very similar. You would want to cut where it says the quick will recede-

(Not my image)

Here are a couple images showing an overgrown beak that is in need of a trim and where to cut-

Along the dotted line is about where it would need trimmed back to, a bit less would be best. You just want to trim almost as far as the overgrown, clear tip is. Be sure to gradually trim it back.

It does take experience and practice, so don’t expect it to go super quickly the first time, and take your time. You may also want another person there with you to help.

I hope this helps, but if not, I’ll try my best to answer any questions you may have.

 

[Mrs J]

She is so cute!

Yes, my crossbeaks can clean themselves, and eat and drink on their own, as long as I keep their beaks trimmed down. I provide crumbles and dip-beak waterers, and they eat and drink like a regular chicken. Mine are separate from my main flock and live with the special needs flock, so they don’t have any trouble getting what they need.

How I trim my girls’ beaks:


You will want to trim the beak regularly (once every 2-4 weeks), depending on the chicken, so you will need to keep an eye on how it grows. Trim based on her specific needs and growth.

You can use dog nail clippers, a grinder tool (this is what I recommend), or a nail file. Be aware that you will most likely have to do this often, so you will need to keep an eye on it.

This is what I do for my crossbeaks:

1. Wrap her in a towel to keep her from flapping, and flip her on her back like that.
2. Next, grab the top part of her beak, and keep it separated from her bottom part. Pay extra attention to not accidentally trim her tongue. Go slowly and calmly as to not stress her out. Clip, or grind, the beak down gradually.
3. Repeat the step above, but with the bottom part of her beak, again paying attention to her tongue and making sure she is calm.
(Step 2 and 3 can be switched around, but I think doing the top beak first is easiest.)
4. Once you are done, gently unwrap her, and let her go back to her coop.

*Be sure not to accidentally hit the quick of her beak! It will bleed if not done right, and it can be very painful for her. Less is better than more.*

Here is a picture that shows the quick, and what to look for, really well. It is a picture of a bird’s nail, but nails and beaks of birds are actually very similar. You would want to cut where it says the quick will recede-
View attachment 3055041
(Not my image)

Here are a couple images showing an overgrown beak that is in need of a trim and where to cut-
View attachment 3055047
Along the dotted line is about where it would need trimmed back to, a bit less would be best. You just want to trim almost as far as the overgrown, clear tip is. Be sure to gradually trim it back.
View attachment 3055048

It does take experience and practice, so don’t expect it to go super quickly the first time, and take your time. You may also want another person there with you to help.

I hope this helps, but if not, I’ll try my best to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you so much for all of this information I really appreciate it! I was scared of doing more harm than good keeping her alive, so this information is really reassuring she is gorgeous and has such a nice nature. I was about to syringe feed her before, but felt her crop and it was full at what age should I start trimming her? And would a dremell do the job? It can be used on nails, it’s not an industrial one or anything.

 

[Mrs J]

@NatJ your advice worked a treat! I took her off her nest to mark the eggs, almost immediately she started eating and drinking, then went back to sit on her nest she is sitting on 6 eggs. This is so good because I will now be able to candle them soon to check they are fertile. Also her bark was worse than her bite!