Do all crooked beaks become Cross beaks?

[SunnyClucks]

3 week old EE that is developing a crooked beak. Its not crossing at all at this point. Should I expect this to go crossed.

 

[nuthatched]

They typically get worse as it ages

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

It looks crossed, and as the above poster said, it'll get worse as it ages. There are certain beak deformities that the beaks are messed up but don't cross, like parrot beak where the top is too long and curled down or the long bottom beak. Trimming down help with those to a certain point. There's also hairline crossbeak, which isn't as bad as severe crossbeak, but the beak still doesn't line up perfectly. It just isn't as noticeable. With any beak deformity, you shouldn't ever breed the bird because the next generation could have it worse.

This chick's beak isn't lining up, so it will need to be filed down (or trimmed) about every two weeks, depending how bad it's beak gets. I wouldn't start doing anything until it's a few months old unless you see it really being a problem beforehand. If it's beak gets really bad as it ages, you may need to tube feed it if it can't take care of itself.

Here's a helpful article on taking care of this chick and its needs:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...kens-including-tube-feeding-techniques.64321/