Deformed 2 week old chick.

[Below frigid]

Chick has lower jaw/beak that jets off to the right. Athing I can do to help? Or should I just put her down

 

[renenchan]

Chick has lower jaw/beak that jets off to the right. Athing I can do to help? Or should I just put her down

I have one chick that has the same issue.... she seems to be growing (eating drinking) fine. I am waiting to see what she turns out like. I am curious what others have to say too.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

@casportpony !

 

[rosemarythyme]

A little hard to tell from photo but sounds like a crossbeak. It'll likely get worse as it grows, but some chickens can get by even with a fairly severe case. You'll want to keep a close eye on it to make sure that it can eat and drink successfully... if it starts to struggle with that, I personally would cull it rather than watch it starve to death, as the only other option is tube feeding.

Here's a good article on crossbeaks and how to help feed them: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...kens-including-tube-feeding-techniques.64321/

 

[Below frigid]

A little hard to tell from photo but sounds like a crossbeak. It'll likely get worse as it grows, but some chickens can get by even with a fairly severe case. You'll want to keep a close eye on it to make sure that it can eat and drink successfully... if it starts to struggle with that, I personally would cull it rather than watch it starve to death, as the only other option is tube feeding.

Here's a good article on crossbeaks and how to help feed them: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...kens-including-tube-feeding-techniques.64321/

Thanks for the replies. Little guy was OK with a pile of food shoveling, but could not pick up anything off the ground. Our flock free ranges all day in the woods and I don't have the time to take care of a struggling chick. I decided to help nature take its course. First time with a chick, sort of sad. His poor little lower beak was almost sideways. It was the right thing to do,

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Thanks for the replies. Little guy was OK with a pile of food shoveling, but could not pick up anything off the ground. Our flock free ranges all day in the woods and I don't have the time to take care of a struggling chick. I decided to help nature take its course. First time with a chick, sort of sad. His poor little lower beak was almost sideways. It was the right thing to do,

Yeah, you most likely did the right thing, from what I hear it just gets worse as the chick gets bigger, just such a hard thing to do. I don’t know why it always is so hard to end a beings suffering.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Very sorry about the outcome, but I think you did the right thing if it was already struggling to eat. I've had 2 crossbeaks so far but both were relatively mild cases, and even then they needed to have regular beak maintenance to help them eat.