DAY 18!!! Lockdownnnnn!!!!
Anyone find out what I can do for a chick with scissor beak? Is it hereditary?
@Bejammie some will argue its genetic but some say in most cases its hatch issues and vitminerals, its best not to breed them!
Scissor beak or cross beak is caused when the top and bottom part of the beak don’t align correctly due to the growth plates in the chicken’s skull not closing at the same rate. This results in the beak growing at different angles which can make eating and drinking difficult for some birds. There is no real treatment for this disorder and it varies in severity. Birds that have a mild case don’t ever have any difficulty, their beak is just crossed and with a little special care they are able to get on just fine. In moderate to severe cases though, this disorder can be deadly because it prohibits the bird from eating or drinking.
In most cases, this defect is caused by the chick positioning herself incorrectly for hatching -- normally, one wing will shelter the head inside the shell, but if she doesn't have her wing over her head, the skull can malform, and it will reveal itself within the first few weeks as a cross beak or scissor beak as she begins to grow. This can also commonly be caused by various nutritional deficiencies, for instance, a lack of vitamin D, folic acid, biotin, methionine or calcium. An injury to or infection in the cere can cause the development of a crossed beak, too. Birds with liver disease may develop beak (and nail) overgrowth issues, as well, which can lead to crossed beaks. A crossed beak can be--but is not commonly--a genetic issue, even though it’s often mistaken for one. Consider that breeding birds kept together are likely on the same (nutritionally deficient) diet, and chicks hatched together in an inexpensive home incubator can experience the same incubation issues, so when these are the causes, you are likely to see several cases together.
http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/Crossed-beak-overview-H254.aspx
HELPING THEM TO SURVIVE
1. It is possible to either file or cut the beak to help realign it and take off some of the growth. This is not a permanent fix but it helps. It has to be done every 4-6 weeks, and you have to use some caution when attempting this. I used a cordless Dremel to ever so gently shave/sculpt the beak. Remember, don’t go too fast because you don’t want to create more problems than you started with! Also, the Dremel can get very hot, so exercise caution and patience when trying this method. Paired with some of the ideas below though, their hen has a good chance of living a fairly normal life.
2. Make sure your chicken’s food and water dishes are wide and deep because chickens that have this disorder “scoop” their food and water into their mouth.
3. It helps to feed the chicken a pelleted form of feed instead of a crumble. For some reason that appears easier for the chicken to manage.
4. Moisten the feed so it is not so difficult for the chicken to “scoop” it into it’s mouth and they don’t have to chase it.
5. Feed the chicken separate from the rest of the flock because it takes them extra time to eat and prohibits the other chickens from pushing them away from the feeders.
http://ontheurbanfarm.blogspot.com/2012/10/cross-beaksplit-beak-not-hopeless.html
'Birdie braces' used to treat macaws with scissor beak by University of Queensland experts
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-...atton-treat-macaws-with-birdie-braces/5976648
CHICKEN CHICK CROSS BEAK INFO CLICK HERE
