Poor Chicken's Beak

[SandyK]

I'm wondering if anyone might have suggestions for me.

Recently I added two new chickens to my little flock of 5. When I picked them up, the fellow stuffed them in my carrier by the legs, not really letting me see them at all. I did notice that the beaks had been trimmed. When I got home and really took a good look, the one has it's bottom beak about a good 1/4" longer than the top. The poor thing can't peck like the other girls do. She obviously eats enough because she is a good size compared to the other one I brought home with her. But she can't pick up stuff like the others. When I feed them goodies from the kitchen or find worms with them, she tries, but doesn't really get much if anything.

Anything I should do for her??

Thanks,
Sandy

 

[Wynette]

Awe...so sorry to hear it. Next time you buy, make sure to ask to inspect them first. I know, it's easier said than done.

Is the beak issue a crossbeak? If the top beak crosses over the top and doesn't align with the bottom one, that's called crossbeak. If that's the case, you should provide a deeper dish for that one, because they typically cannot eat well unless they can sort of "shovel" the food into their mouths. Good luck!

 

[SandyK]

Wynette,

No, the top beak is just really really short and the bottom one sticks out beyond it about 1/4". You can see her little tongue when she tries to eat and drink.

I should have looked them over good. But maybe if someone else got her they would have put her in the stew pot. She will have a place to live out her life with me.

Sandy

 

[obe10]

why where there beaks trimmed?

 

[Wynette]

OH, okay. Yes, weird that her beak would be trimmed, but it could be that she was purchased from a commercial hatchery, which makes this a normal practice (sadly).

I'm unsure about what to do to help her with a trimmed beak, but most of them do just fine...when I had a crossbeak (I know that's now what yours is), I'd wet her crumble just a bit and stir it up so it would sort of stick in clumps...that made it easier for her to eat. Perhaps that will help for your girl?

 

[SandyK]

I purchased the two chickens from a local feed and garden store. Apparently they take the orders and then have a chicken breeder come up early on Saturday morning to deliver them to us. I guess the trimming is to keep them from pecking each other. You know how those places are probably, having hundreds of them together in a small space to raise them until old enough to sell off. My guess anyway. This poor girl must have had a bad beak job because the other one is very short but even so she can peck.

My question was does anyone know if it can be trimmed up or maybe would it grow out? I can trim my parrot's beak, but the chickens seem like it is soft. Maybe I can call the vet.

Thanks,
Sandy

 

[Emzyyy]

I would just make sure she had a deep enough bowl to eat out of that is always filled up. Maybe some oatmeal and applesauce for treats, squishy watermellon might work too.

 

[Wynette]

SandyK, no, it won't grow back out if it's trimmed as short as you indicate. If you could post pics, that would be helpful. Hope your girl does okay!!

 

[frankenchick]

There's an article in Backyard Poultry about a chicken that was attacked by a raccoon and had the entire top part of her beak ripped off. She is fine, even lays eggs, but she does require hand feeding. I should think that with a nice, deep bowl your girl would be able to eat. Moistening the food is a good idea (maybe sometimes a little yogurt?). I'd give her first dibs on worms and JBs in the garden and hand feed them to her.

Good luck.

 

[SandyK]

Here's a picture of my little "Grammaw". She reminds me of an old person who only has their bottom teeth in. She finally did get to dine on some yogurt yesterday and juice from a watermelon today. She still isn't tame enough to eat from my hand. I'm working on her though. She just can't pick up the treats I bring everyone up. She uses that tongue to drink with and eat her crumbles. She is so soft and pretty though. She is actually bigger than the other one like her that I got at the same time, so I'm not really worried she is starving.

Sandy