Scissor beak chick

[Cellomama2]

I came across a post on a facebook chicken forum of a lady that had a scissor beak chick and didn't feel she could take care of her. I've already had a chicken with a scissor beak so I said I'd take her on. The problem is it seems the beak it getting worse as she grows and she isn't gaining weight like she should. I can feel her breast bone at this point. She is either sleeping or eating and I'm wondering if I'm just prolonging the inevitable. I have tried to water down the food, crush it and mix it with water and use a syringe to feed her and right now I just have the dish raised so she can hopefully shovel it into her mouth easier since she seems to prefer the food dry over wet. Anyone have an opinion?

Born: March 25
Got her: April 6

The first pic is the one I was given by the original owner and the second is the one I took today.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The misalignment is likely to continue to get worse, but that doesn't mean it can't make it. Wet feed in a deep container will help, it may always need to have that available if eating dry feed is too difficult.

If it cannot eat on its own, are you willing and able to tube feed? It's a big commitment so if the answer is no, then it's best to cull it rather than let it starve to death.

 

[OneToManyChickens]

I have also had a scissor beak chick. From looking about normal at hatch his beak became almost completely crossed. He couldn’t fit his beak into the wholes of a normal feeder. So, we would take a plastic cup with feed in it and lay it down flat on the ground. A long cup so he wouldn’t knock much of it out. Then we would let him eat out of the cup. The deeper food and the
Cup around his head helped him eat. It got to the point where he would just fly on to my shoulder and eat out of the cup. Wet food also work and make sure you have crumble feed not pellets.

 

[OneToManyChickens]

Also on YouTube there is a channel called A Chick Called Albert. One of his videos shows him feeding and rehabilitating a cross beak chick who couldn’t eat. I don’t have the link but a quick search should find the channel.

 

[Cellomama2]

Is there a way to get her to actually eat the wet food? When I gave that to her and the two chicks with her, they wanted nothing to do with it. All they did was stand there and cry. I sprinkled some dry food over the top to entice them, which it did, but as soon as they picked that out they started yelling again.
I would be more than willing to tube feed but I've only done that with a kitten so I guess I'll have to search how to do that for a chick. Thanks for the ideas. I love this group so much.

 

[OneToManyChickens]

Before you tube feed I would try feeding out of a cup. But also with chickens once you get something in there mouth they will normally eat it. If you open the beak and put in the wet food, a small piece of it not a liquid the chick should start to eat it.

 

[Cellomama2]

I'll try the cup but I've also tried to open her beak and put some food in but she just shakes her head and gets it everywhere. A very stubborn little thing.

Have to include that the kids have decided to go with Secret Life of Pets names this time so her name is Sweet Pea and her sister's are Chloe and Gidget.

 

[Cellomama2]

The cup is not working. All three chicks just sit there a cry even after I used my finger to "peck" the food and show them where it is.
I did get a scale to weigh her and she is only 76 grams so I decided that I would try the tube feeding. Everything I looked up said that you feed 10% of their body weight and that just seems like so much! I'm also very worried that I'm going to put the tube too far in and puncture the crop. Is there a way to know exactly how far to put it in, I'm having trouble fining that?

 

[OneToManyChickens]

I am sorry, I don’t have tube feeding experience. If you still have the chick you could try making another post to see if anyone with the experience would see it.

 

[Cellomama2]

I was able to find a few helpful videos online and I'm pretty sure I have it down at this point. She's gaining weight slowly but she is gaining and I've gotten her from 67 g to 88 g. Still trying to get her better at eating on her own but there will just be a lot of trial and error.