I have a ring-neck pheasant about 8 - 10 wks. old that I just noticed has cross beak. She did not have this condition at hatch, and I believe this a relatively new development, however, due to their flighty behavior, it may have been developing for awhile. I have tried to research it and some say it is definetly genetic and others say it can be caused by an injury. But all cases I found were about chickens. I was not able to find even one about pheasants or other game birds. I honestly think it could be due to injury the way they peck at the wire between cages. Could she have gotten her beak caught to cause this condition? I hatched approximately 50 chicks this year and, to my knowlege, she is the only one with this condition. Could it be because the parents are too closely related? I've been trying to find someone who would like to trade a couple cocks with me. Any information anyone can give me will be greatly appreciated.
