scissor beak

[atief1253]

has anyone heard of this? my one month old chick's beak has a tiny bend in it. It only bends to the very edge of the lower beak - she eats and drinks fine. I was told it was a scissor beak. Any advice?

 

[Clackclack]

It happens. Some people will cull chicks like that, but as long as eating and drinking happens normally there is no reason. Make sure the animal can feed, perhaps adjust what you give her/him as he/she is growing up.

 

[atief1253]

My husband looked at her beak and we don't think it IS a scissor beak. Her mouth aligns perfectly. Just the very tiny tip of her beak is bent and doesn't interfer with her lower beak. He thinks it needs to be filed down or she will do it when she digs in the dirt. Like a fingernail that grows too long and bends over. Hope that doesn't sound too confusing.

 

[Clackclack]

Not confusing at all. It will either take care of itself by filing or the chicken might drool a bit, but as long as enough food gets in, it'll be alright. If you feed her on a hard surface, like concrete, with seeds (try sesame!) it will aid the filing.

 

[Nicole01]

I hatched a chick that developed cross break pretty severely. I ended up culling the chick by using vinegar and baking soda. It was a very humane way to cull the chick.

I absolutely have a very hard time culling chicks and chickens. I will only do this when absolutely necessary. My chick was unable to eat and suffering.

I'm so sorry your dealing with this issue. There is not a cure for this condition that I'm aware of.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

if the tip becomes over grown you can use a dog nail trimmer to trim off a little at a time.

 

[atief1253]

yes, that is what it looks like - overgrown. I'm a beginner. Will it hurt them to trim it? Like I said earlier, both beaks end together nicely, then you have an overgrown point from the top beak.

 

[atief1253]

thanks. I'm glad it is not scissor beak - unless it turns into it but it's like an overgrown piece of her top beak hanging over the bottom beak.

 

[atief1253]

my husband and I are very adverse to culling a sick chick or chicken. We hate doing it and end up letting it suffer before it dies, which is even worse for the poor thing. What happens with the vinegar and baking soda? How much do you use? How do you get the chick to drink it. That DOES seem more gentle. Do they just fall asleep and die? I wouldn't want them to get pains or whatever and be worse. thanks.

 

[Clackclack]

Vinegar and soda is basically suffocating the chicken, because the acid will release CO2 - you do it in a bag or so, plenty of info if you search on this site, but I don't think you need to worry about it for a second with this chick from what you described.