Deformed beak

[aislingchef]

Hi
Sorry I always seem to use this website only when I have a question! I have a dilemma with LouLou, a 6 week old chick with a beak that looks like horizontal scissors. He's eating porridge oats instead of the chick crumb that we offer him and he's a lot less feathered than his siblings. Being that my husband saved him from hypothermia shortly after he hatched out and he imprinted on us it would be an awful breach of trust to euthanize him! It's been suggested that we trim his beak to make it shorter but I'd like to know if that would cause him any pain. We are quite proficient at keeping livestock. I can't seem to post the photo.

 

[sourland]

You can trim the beak - much like trimming a dog's toenails only trim back to the quick. Try providing moistened feed in a deep dish so that the bird can more readily eat.