it hatched but it has a crossed beak.....

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

I had three eggs in the bator and the only one that developed all the way just hatched.....and she has a crossed beak. I'm so upset. Will she definetly die from this? Should I just kill her now? Is there any tretment for a crossed beak? I read in some of my poultry books its genetic. But I hatched we half sister (maybe full sister--they may or may not have different dads) and she was gorgeous(and normal)! So should I never hatch eggs frm this hen again?

 

[Chickenaddict]

I wouldnt hatch eggs from her, She won't die but you may have to file her beak down a bit to make it easier for her to get the feed. I guess it depends on how bad the crossbeak is. Can you post a pic?

 

[pdsavage]

You will need to feed her from a deeper dish I use a V shaped feeder for my crossed beak chicken,her name is Ducky.

 

[Opa]

I had a splash BLRW with a severely crossed beak. She brought food wasting to all time highs and never gained much weight. She was almost a year old and had never laid. She didn't make it through all of this cold weather. As sad as it is to cull, I don't think that I would hesitate now.

 

[L*A*G*]

pics please

 

[mrandmrschicken]

I have a crossed beak Sebright. She is the real Mrs. Chicken. Her beak did not begin to cross until she was 4 months old. She eats just fine but I do trim her beak with a finger nail clipper every now and again because it does get more crooked the longer it gets. She eats with the rest of the birds. She has a chick that is about 6 weeks old. It is to early to tell if that chicks beak will cross. Please post a pic so we can see the beak.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Awww, I'm sorry for your dilemma. There are a lot of factors to affect your decision, but in the end it's up to you. Each chicken-keeper has their own personal standard as to who to coddle and who to cull. Make the decision that makes the most sense to you.

You said this is the only chick who hatched, so that might convince you to cull this lonely only, or to instead hand-raise & coddle. A lot will also depend on just how severely crossed it is, how well it's getting along otherwise, how content or distressed it seems. And also on the other priorities in your life, and your purpose for keeping your chickens. You might get pleasure from caring for a "special needs chicken" or your resourses might be better spent tending to the rest of your flock.

There are other threads here on crossed-beaked birds, some who died & others who throve. Some required lots of extra care & attention, others got along all right on their own. I don't know how closely it's tied to genetics, or if it's just a random birth defect. I had one crossed-beaked bird who had many siblings with straight beaks. But if you keep it, perhaps to be safe, I wouldn't hatch its eggs nor let it mate with your hens.

There's also a thread on best methods for culling chicks, with a variety of opinions expressed there. Some folks disagreed with the method I had described, and I did some further investigation into the matter. After surveying several experienced chicken keepers at our local poultry club, I learned many more methods used for culling chicks. Some I dare not describe here, but there was one that made the most sense. PM me if you want to know more.

I wish you peace & grace & wisdom in your decision, whatever you choose...

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I have a black Ameracauna 2 months old who hatched w/a slightly crossed beak--I've never trimmed it as it doesn't appear to be that bad. She eats & drinks w/no problem and is, in fact, larger than her sister. Can you post pics of yours? it may not be as bad as some?

 

[turnerstar31]

My hen Greta has one but it is not to severe and hers did not show up until later when she was a chick. She does just fine and is the most loving chicken that I have. However I do have to take a little extra time to ensure that she gets enough to eat. Like many on here have already said it depends on the severity of the beak and also raising a lone chick can be a big issue to.
Good luck with your little one and I hope that everything turns out alright.

 

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

More bad news about the little cripple chick. Upon closer inspection this morning, she not only has a pretty severe crossed beak but also is missing an eye. I've hatched many chicks in the last 5 years and I have never seen one like this. I even had a little faverolle last spring with deformed toes, and boots hobbled around fine until her siblings ran her over at a few months old. I've never had a crossed beak. I assume because she hatched with it as opposed to developing it later, that it will be much worse than a bird who develops one at a few weeks old.
As sad as it it is, I think I will have to kill her. I know you ppl all call it culling, but essentially that's what it is....Killing her so she doesn't slowly starve to death. I just feel so bad cuz I've never seen a chick beat the odds to hatch like she did. And she fought so hard to get out. As many of you might know from reading my other posts, I forgot I put eggs in the bator and didn't turn them for the first week. and not much turning after that either. DID I DO THIS TO HER? IS IT CUZ OF THE LACK OF TURNING?
Also, I know that even if she was to make it to adulthood, she should never be bred (obviously). But I'm wondering about the parents of this chick? The hen is a little buff silkie--THREE years old,too cute and really hardy. She's also my best layer. I incubated and hatched a chick from her last spring, and the chick (her name was Dawn) turned out to be the most gorgeous pullet (unfortunetly she died last fall). This crippled chick may or may not have the same dad (Dawn's dad was a standard EE)--the silkie is now penned with two roosters (the same EE and a BLRW). It's hard to tell.....The chick has green legs....But maybel that's just a dilute of the silkie blue skin. She also looks lighter...Her fluff has buff streaks but seems to have lighter tones and maybe some blue-ish gray? Dawn was striped like a chipmunk (like EE's usually are) and also showed more silkie characteristics (i.e, vaulted skull, 5 toes) than this chick does. SO IS IT SAFE TO INCUBATE MORE EGGS FROM THIS PARTICULAR HEN? IS THIS JUST A FREAK HAPPENING OR IS IT PRETTY COMMON?
And finally, this sounds terrible...But if I was to try to save her I would have to set up a brooder (and heatlamp=alot of electricity) and buy a $20 bag of chick starter for one lonely little chick that chances are really good will not make it. THat's alot of money, my sisters (ages 8 and 10--they watched her hatch) will get attached, and then she will starve to death.