Scissor/Cross-Beak Chick

[MamaBear1984]

Hello everyone! I'm new to Backyard Chickens and a first time chicken owner! So far this site has been incredibly useful! So I'm hoping you can help me out. My chicks are almost 3 weeks old. One of my chicks has scissor-beak. Based on other images I've seen, hers seems to be a really bad case. I noticed she is not gaining weight like the rest of the crew. I've seen her drink water and she seems to have no issue there. However, when she eats, she definitely struggles. I've given them a mash of yogurt and starter - they love it but she still seems to struggle. I've heard the beak only gets worse as she grows. I want her to survive but I don't want her to suffer. Any tips, advice, etc on how to handle this??

 

[Chloe+chickens=LOVE]

Would you be able to take a few pictures and post them?

 

[MamaBear1984]

Here she is. The bottom beak sticks out so far to the side!

 

[Chloe+chickens=LOVE]

@casportpony @chickens really @sourland

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! I think you're correct, that does look pretty severe. I've had a couple, but not that bad. I found the best way to get them to eat and drink was to provide a deep dishes of food and water.

One option you have is tube feeding. You could try tube feeding twice a day and hope that someday soon she will figure out how to eat enough on her own. I would be more than happy to teach you how to do this if you are interested.

Euthanasia is an other option too, but it's a very personal choice, and one I won't usually suggest unless the animal has a terminal disease or injury.

 

[MamaBear1984]

Welcome to BYC! I think you're correct, that does look pretty severe. I've had a couple, but not that bad. I found the best way to get them to eat and drink was to provide a deep dishes of food and water.

One option you have is tube feeding. You could try tube feeding twice a day and hope that someday soon she will figure out how to eat enough on her own. I would be more than happy to teach you how to do this if you are interested.

Euthanasia is an other option too, but it's a very personal choice, and one I won't usually suggest unless the animal has a terminal disease or injury.

Thank you for the advice! A few people have told me it may be better to euthanize but I wanted to avoid that. I'm just worried that she's suffering. She does a low chirp almost constantly. And I know a noisy chicken is usually an uncomfortable chicken. I watched her for about 30-40 minutes last night. She pecks so hard at the food. I even raised the dish a little so it was closer for her to swallow before it could fall out of her beak. Seeing her like that is heartbreaking. I'm also noticing the tip of her tongue seems to be changing color/appearance just within the last day or so.

I am open to trying the tube feeding but I'm also worried that she'll never be able to figure out how to eat. And the more time I spend with her, the more attached to her I become.

 

[aart]

A few people have told me it may be better to euthanize but I wanted to avoid that. I'm just worried that she's suffering. She does a low chirp almost constantly. And I know a noisy chicken is usually an uncomfortable chicken.

I would euthanize....hardest but bestest decision.

 

[casportpony]

I am open to trying the tube feeding but I'm also worried that she'll never be able to figure out how to eat. And the more time I spend with her, the more attached to her I become.

Speaking from experience, I know that the longer you doctor them, the more attached you get, and the harder it is to euthanize. I can teach you to tube if you want, but I will support you if you decide to euthanize too.

 

[MelissaRose]

I had a meat bird (rooster I think, never found out) who had a crossed beak. (S)he seemed to be able to eat ok, so we let them be with the others. "Crooked beak" (That's what its name was) Was the sweetest thing. They were meat birds and so my dad would bring a bucket of food to them in their fenced area in the field. "Crooked beak" would always get out when he saw my dad coming and run up to him in the field. We would then put him/her in the bucket (or (s)he would get in herself) and they would ride back to his/her pen in the bucket. They were the sweetest. Crooked beak would also escape and come up to the house to hang out with people sometimes. Of course, when "Butcher day" came we couldn't kill Crooked beak so we kept him/her with our laying hens. Crooked beak was always pretty small, stayed about the size of a bantam but (s)he was happy so we let him/her live. We never found out if Crooked beak was a hen or a rooster because though they lived to be 6 months old they never developed characteristics of either. Crooked beak died about 4 months after we butchered their siblings. I'm not sure why, they were just dead when we went out the next morning.

So, yes its probably possible for your chick to survive but they may grow a lot slower than the rest and die early unless they can eat properly.

Like @casportpony said, if you think you might end its life, do it sooner rather than later. I support your decision either way!

This is just my opinion and a story!