First time with a Cross Beak

[Little Roughian]

Has anyone had experience dealing with a chick with a cross beak? What did you do?

I have a chick, who seems to be thriving, with a cross beak. I didn't know if theres anything special I should do for it. It eats and drinks and is the same size as the chicks its same age. I recently put a little bowl in for feed as I noticed it was hard for his little beak to get in the chick feeder. Will he be able to live normally?

 

[YoungHen]

As long as he is eating food he should be fine
(if he isn't maybe consider putting in a small saucer of feed so it would be easier to get)
Most chicks with cross beak usually turn out fine so as long as it's eating and drinking and
acting normally it should be fine (I think anyways)
Georgie xx

 

[Little Roughian]

yay! it gives me hope that he will lead a full chicken life. I was going to put him down but i felt bad so i just waited. He eats, drinks, and plays with the others. I just wanted to be sure i did the best by him and helped him along.

 

[ReikiStar]

Plan on filing down it's beak regularly. Because the it won't be able to wear it down it will over-grow and the chicken will have more and more difficulty getting food into it's mouth. Also, know that as it matures the severity will increase. Crossbeak is usually a genetic deformity of the skull, so as the bird matures the beak will change until the bird is fully grown.

We have a 1 yr+ old roo with crossbeak and we file his beak weekly. He's a healthy happy guy but he's a special needs bird and yours will be too. It's nearly impossible that a crossbeak bird can be left alone like normal birds and live a natural life. They require special care and consideration their whole lives.

 

[Little Roughian]

How does one properly file a beak? and with what?