Hen with nasty crossbeak

[Gypsy07]

I got ten new hybrid layers yesterday. Picked them out of a dark shed and put them in a crate for transport. Was transferring them to their new home, putting leg bands on, checking them over carefully, and I find that one of them has a horribly deformed upper beak. I don't want to take her back and swap her for a 'better' hen as I know they'd just cull her straightaway. So what's the likely prognosis with this? She's as meaty and as fluffy as the other nine and looks fine apart from the squinty beak, so she must be eating and drinking okay.

Is there anything I can do to improve it? Corrective trimming to improve the shape over time? Or just checking and trimming what she's got just to make sure it doesn't get any worse?

Edit: I won't be breeding from any of them, in case anyone was wondering

 

[easttxchick]

I think trimming is the way to go. It won't get better over time, but as long as she is eating and drinking OK and not getting picked on, she should be fine.

 

[iheartchkns]

I have a crossbeaked Mille Fleur roo. I noticed his beak as a peep, and as he matured it got worse and finally stuck at about a 90 degree angle. Some people say to cull them, but I can't cull any chicken, since I raise them as pets and for eggs. He is just adorable and likes to get on top of the feeder and get his head down in the feed to get his food. He's adapted to his situation and is doing fine. Like the previous poster said, just keep an eye on her to make sure she is getting the food and water she needs.

 

[CMV]

Deeper feed and water dishes might help her to feed herself. I have a crossbeaked BR. Hers is very mild, but got worse over time. She is nearly a year old, so it is probably as bad as it is going to get. She does just fine. I was going to trim her beak, but it wears away in such a manner as to work well for her defect. It doesn't look that pretty (she always looks like she's sneering at you), but she can eat and drink without a problem.

Good luck with her.

 

[Gypsy07]

Well, I've been keeping an eye on her and she seems to be getting on just fine. I have a deep waterer and feeder already so she'll be happy enough there. I can see how she might have problems with pecking at plants and/or bugs though. Hopefully she'll do okay. Thanks for the advice folks!

 

[Mahonri]

I have a 2 week old EE with a crossbeak that approaches a 90 degree angle. It started out as the largest chick but is now in the middle of the pack.... really looks gross. I'm still thinking about culling as trimming would make it harder for it to eat. Makes me sad.

 

[Gypsy07]

Well, here's the two month update and it's really sweet. She's doing okay, free ranging with the rest of the flock and has actually turned out to be a little bit of a bully. She's quite quick to peck at other birds that get too close to her when she's eating, but I suspect this may be just because she has more trouble eating than the rest of them and doesn't want food being stolen out from under her beak. So I suppose I can forgive her for that. I think she has trouble picking food up from the ground so when I throw corn down for everybody, I keep some bacck and let her eat out of the cup while I hold it. So now when I throw corn down she doesn't even try to peck at it, she just runs over, stands at my feet, stretches her neck up and waits for me to crouch down and let her get her head in the cup. Awww...

Last month I thought I had an outbreak of chicken snuffles, as there was a lot of sneezing and spluttering in the coop one night. But it was all coming from this one bird, and I've since noticed that she often makes lots of funny spluttering snot-clearing noises when she's eating and drinking. I think she has to dip her beak so far in that she's always getting food and water up her nose. LOL!

 

[Gypsy07]

Mahonri - how is your EE chick doing? Is she okay or did you have to cull her?

 

[jemmasgrandma]

I have a welsummer named Beakers

she's beautiful, eats & drinks just fine and "holds her own" in the coop!! and she's a great egg layer too...