itchy beak?

[golddustmommy]

One of my chicks (about 6 weeks old)seems to constantly rub her beak against things, as if she has an itch. None of the others do it, and there are no other symptoms of colds or mites or anything that I can tell. Could it just be a nervous tick? Or is there something I am not thinking of?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

All chickens rub their beaks to a degree, especially after eating something wet or moist. It's similar to us wiping our mouth on a napkin. If it's doing it more than normal than I would check it's beak and mouth to see if there's something struck on it or even in it's mouth. Otherwise it just may be obsessed with cleaning off it's beak.

 

[azygous]

Do as Old Hen suggests. Check the mouth and tongue of this baby chick very carefully to make certain nothing is caught up in its mouth.

I've been on BYC long enough to have heard horror stories of human hairs getting wrapped around the tongues of chickens. Baby chicks especially seem very adept at finding things by which to get themselves into trouble.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

It's fun to watch some of mine do that.