Scissor beak problems

[Megs_menagerie]

Ok so I got three Americana chicks a few weeks ago, at first she didn’t look like this but in the last week or so her beak has grown like this. I had these guys with a little bigger chicks at first but have since separated them into their own tub. I thought she was doing pretty good, she’s always going after the food with the other two and drinks but I took these pictures last night and she has me worried. Should I put her by herself and wet down her feed or trim her beak? I want to try to save her but I’m not sure how. The picture of the yellow chick is her sibling for comparison

 

[Emelyn]

View attachment 2709211Ok so I got three Americana chicks a few weeks ago, at first she didn’t look like this but in the last week or so her beak has grown like this. I had these guys with a little bigger chicks at first but have since separated them into their own tub. I thought she was doing pretty good, she’s always going after the food with the other two and drinks but I took these pictures last night and she has me worried. Should I put her by herself and wet down her feed or trim her beak? I want to try to save her but I’m not sure how. The picture of the yellow chick is her sibling for comparison

I'm not sure what do do but I saw a video on a YouTube channel "A chick called Albert" and the guy also had the same thing with the chick. I'll attach the link here so you can watch it and hopefully help you.

 

[Hannahnic14]

I have a 10 week old scissor beak crevecoeur (Herky Jerky), her beak isn't quite as severe but I have found that she is able to eat wet foods alot easier than dry. She can eat dry foods, it just takes her a bit longer. Try looking up fermented feed, it gives them more nutrients and is easier to eat!

 

[Hannahnic14]

Oh, I forgot to mention I did take some dog nail clippers and a finger nail file and trimmed her beak up some, it definitely seemed to help!

Just a warning tho, if it's that severe at that age then it's going to get pretty bad as she grows...but chickens are good at adapting!

 

[Emelyn]

Oh, I forgot to mention I did take some dog nail clippers and a finger nail file and trimmed her beak up some, it definitely seemed to help!

Wow! You really know what to do in a situation like this!

 

[Hannahnic14]

Wow! You really know what to do in a situation like this!

Well I wanted my girl to have the best quality of life for as long as possible!

 

[CluckerFamily]

Wet food will be best for her. Also deep dishes for the food and water will be best but make sure the chicks can’t get into the dish entirely to prevent drowning.

 

[Megs_menagerie]

I appreciate everyone’s advice, when trimming the beak do you try to taper the end or just make a straight cut? I’ve trimmed dog and cat nails but not beaks, LOL. Also how deep should the food dish be, right now she has a shallow pan and she gets in it and scratches like crazy while she eats. Do you think she’ll be ok with the others still? I tried wetting down the feed in one of the feed pans and her sister thought it was a dust bath

 

[Hannahnic14]

I appreciate everyone’s advice, when trimming the beak do you try to taper the end or just make a straight cut? I’ve trimmed dog and cat nails but not beaks, LOL. Also how deep should the food dish be, right now she has a shallow pan and she gets in it and scratches like crazy while she eats. Do you think she’ll be ok with the others still? I tried wetting down the feed in one of the feed pans and her sister thought it was a dust bath

I just cut straight across, she seemed to be able to put her face in the food better if that makes sense. Be careful you don't cut too far and make it bleed, just a tiny bit at a time Do you have a way to hang the feeder so that it's just low enough for them to eat but not scratch it? That helped us a ton!

 

[Thunder344]

Scissor beak in older chicks is usually caused by nutrition deficiencies, but if it is only one chick then it is most likely from wrong positions in incubation.
Their is no real treatment for scissor beak, but you can file it down. It may get worse as the chick grows, and usually the side effect is that the chick cannot eat properly.
Watch her weight, and make sure they have a rock or something for them. Have you ever seen a chicken wiping it's beak on something? It's actually filing it down, just like how beavers need to chew to keep their teeth short. That's why I make sure their is a good rock or something in their area to be able and file it down. Good luck with your chick!