How severe is this chicks crossbeak?

[Egg_cited]

She is 3 weeks old

 

[JacinLarkwell]

That's pretty severe. Unfortunately as they grow, it only gets worse

 

[Egg_cited]

That's pretty severe. Unfortunately as they grow, it only gets worse

Will she still be able to eat? Or does it make more sense to cull her?

 

[babychickens321]

She is 3 weeks old
View attachment 3144308

Oh god
That’s severe at 3 weeks

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Personally I would cull. She might be able to eat a soupy mash, but she'll never be the weight she should be without tube feeding. It just wouldn't be fair to her, even though it's a bummer

 

[babychickens321]

Will she still be able to eat? Or does it make more sense to cull her?

I know lots of people here have chickens with crossbeaks and still keep them.
She can still live, but you’ll have to take extra care. Make sure the food is deep enough, give her crumbled up food instead of pellets. Or you can give her food through a feeding tube if she’s not eating enough

 

[Folly's place]

It's really difficult to manage one of these birds, as her beak will be so much worse, and she's going to try to produce eggs later, an extra metabolic burden she can't face gracefully.
Tube feeding for life? I wouldn't.
Underweight, hungry all the time, near starvation, not good at all.
IMO humane euthanasia is best, sorry.
Mary

 

[babychickens321]

It's really difficult to manage one of these birds, as her beak will be so much worse, and she's going to try to produce eggs later, an extra metabolic burden she can't face gracefully.
Tube feeding for life? I wouldn't.
Underweight, hungry all the time, near starvation, not good at all.
IMO humane euthanasia is best, sorry.
Mary

That’s true