Mild Cross Beak, HELP!!! (PICS PG. 2) *UPDATE*

[SamanthaBrooke]

Okay, upon inspecting my 5 day old chicks tonight, well I handle all of them every night for 1 minute a piece since I have 31 of them, I do pester them all day long with changing the water and adding feed, stirring the shavings, talking to them and petting them but since they are getting bigger and a little calmer they will stand in my hand for inspection each night and I noticed, sadly, very sadly that one of them has a very slight and mild cross beak, it crop is full and it is pooping and acting very healthy, actually one of my bigger babies too, my question is...Do I need to Cull this baby? Is this genetic and can it be passed to offspring? If not I believe it will do just fine in life but I do not want to be breeding bad traits if it happens to be one of my hens.

Please advise, I'm concerned and don't know what to do.

Thank you!

 

[OreoPlymothRock]

it is genetic, and you shouldn't breed them

 

[SamanthaBrooke]

Okay, that is sad. I suppose I'll have to gain the courage to cull it.

 

[koakritters]

i had my wonderful cross beak roo Noah for almost 2 years. He was the sweetest rooster i've ever dealt with. he couldn't peck so he had to eat specially made food and he got bubble baths to get rid of bugs. If you were closer i would gladly take yours...

also, he was VERY fond of the ladies and i had many chicks from him (was easy to tell when they were all turning out his coloring..) and not 1 of them had a cross beak,

 

[sumi]

Okay, that is sad. I suppose I'll have to gain the courage to cull it.

You don't have to. A cross beak chicken can live a fairly normal life as long as you can help it where needed, like with feeding. There is a thread on them here that I think you will find helpful:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-for-special-needs-chickens-and-their-keepers

and here's some more stuff you can look at:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/03/scissor-beak-aka-crossed-beak-what-it.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...enetic-deformity-or-can-other-things-cause-it

Best of luck!

 

[SamanthaBrooke]

Oh wow, you guys both made my day!

I am going to keep this baby healthy as long as he or she is willing to thrive and live, with assistance I can do, I can help him or her eat no problem and if you two don't think he/she will pass it on it gives me even more of a reason to keep it, I will try to get a picture tonight, it is so mild it took me 4 days to notice it.

Thank you again, I have been dreading and depressed about this since I couldn't go to sleep last night.

 

[Deerling]

These kind of things are even harder when you're pregnant, aren't they? I think it sounds like your baby (chick) is doing well. I have no idea about genetics, but if she can live a happy, healthy life and you don't want to keep her for fear of passing on the trait maybe you could rehome her to someone who wants to eat the eggs. You obviously love and care about your chicks, she's a lucky little thing.

 

[sumi]

Oh wow, you guys both made my day!

I am going to keep this baby healthy as long as he or she is willing to thrive and live, with assistance I can do, I can help him or her eat no problem and if you two don't think he/she will pass it on it gives me even more of a reason to keep it, I will try to get a picture tonight, it is so mild it took me 4 days to notice it.

Thank you again, I have been dreading and depressed about this since I couldn't go to sleep last night.

I'm glad you read those 2 posts before you culled it! I was worried you would see it too late.

That is a lucky little chick, to have someone willing to let it live and live a good life. He/she will repay you I promise! I had a special needs chick once. Oh, she was the most wonderful, loving thing. I named her Joy and she lived her name

I hope yours bring you nothing but joy too!

 

[SamanthaBrooke]

I'm so happy I saw the posts before hand as well, I'll post a picture in a little bit when I handle them, I put them all in a box then sit with them and pick each up at a time and love on them, really fun!!

I bet he or she will bring me a lot of joy, I'm so happy I do not have to end such a beautiful life!

 

[animallover505]

I'm so happy I saw the posts before hand as well, I'll post a picture in a little bit when I handle them, I put them all in a box then sit with them and pick each up at a time and love on them, really fun!!

I bet he or she will bring me a lot of joy, I'm so happy I do not have to end such a beautiful life!

S/he will! It's genetic, but not too bad. And if it's just a mild cross beak, it'll likely eventually breed out