Have you ever seen a chick with a beak like this before?

[BettyR]

It’s obviously thriving so it must be getting enough to eat.

Does anyone know if this is a genetic trait or if it’s just a chance malformation? Should I worry about this trait turning up in my chicken population if she breeds? Should she go in the freezer when she gets old enough or will she be OK?

My mother had a duck that had this same problem many years ago and she named him Einstein because she said he always came up with such cleaver ways of getting his fair share of the food. He never did breed….none of the female ducks would have anything to do with him so I don't know if it's genetic.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

That is called a cross beak...very bad trait and are not to be used for breeding purposes...

They need deep dishes to be able to get enough to eat....

 

[BettyR]

Quote:
Thank you

 

[rhetoric]

Search cross beak -- lots of threads. Lot's of "solutions," many of which seem dubious and one of which seems "final." We have one and we will cull it today. Ours started out like yours but now is beyond 45 degrees and getting worse. She is clearly, despite very fine food, unable to get her head down far enough to feed. She seems desperate and she is considerably smaller and she is getting picked on.