Overbite

[SarahFair]

I could post this in several places because I have several questions on the subject but since Im about to have a hatch from the same guy Ill put it here..

I bought 3 silver laced wyandottes from a man that were about 3 or 4 weeks old. I also bought a dozen hatcing eggs from him. Well I didnt get to pick my chicks out. I ended up at their business address instead of their home so the lady just put me 3 chicks in a box and handed them to me out her car and was on her way. When I got hom I had the dorkiest lookin chick. Its lower beak was nowhere near the size of its upper. Well yesterday it died and I think it was because it couldnt eat right. I watched it try to scrape food in a pile then go at it like that but not successfully.

If I would have trimmed its upper beak back do you think it could have eaten better?

What causes the beak to do this?
Is it inbreeding? Bad genes? Just maybe could have been messed up during incubation?

Im about to hatch some chicks from this guy and I dont want a bunch of inbred chickens running around.

Ive also noticed that on all 3 of them the combs are flat and look like they were sand papered.
Whats up with that?

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Well, depending on the age, Wyandottes have rose combs...and should be flat against their heads if they are young. As they get older, the comb will grow but will remain flat against the head rather than sticking up like a single comb.

 

[SarahFair]

Oooh ok that explains that....

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I think you should call and complain. IMO, if you purchase birds in person, you should be allowed to choose between the available birds, not just have them selected by someone else. Chances are pretty high that you would have seen the beak and not selected that chick, or would been given a severe price break.

Now that doesn't mean you should be able to waltz through their coops and select from all their birds. Goodness knows a breeder who allowed that would have no decent quality birds left. However, of those that are available for purchase, you should have your choice.

Was the beak top & bottom misaligned, or just a short bottom beak? Trimming might have helped. This is one case where debeaking might have been a kind choice.

 

[SarahFair]

No the bottom beak was just super short. I was a little disappointed in the chick but $3 isnt worth raising cain over IMO. They were an older couple and Id feel bad calling up an old man and yellin at him. Im a pretty docile person. Just learned a lesson.

Is this caused by genetics or messed up during incubation??

 

[SarahFair]

ttt

 

[SarahFair]

Still wondering

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Probably a genetics fluke.

 

[Judy]

Since crossbeak is genetic and often associated with other problems I would guess this was, too. Would have to ask a genentics expert, which I ain't!

I wonder if the couple even noticed the defect.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Crossbeak is not necessarily genetic. More times than not it is not genetic, but rather injury to the beak at a young age or during hatching. Pecking something too hard, getting mash caught between the outer edge of the beak and the inner edge are common causes.