silkie, crooked beak

[onthespot]

One of my silkie cockerels is getting a crooked beak. I don't know if it is an example of "incubator beak" or bad genes. Anyone have more experience and can tell by looking? He hatched July 4th and I took the pic yesterday.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Since he didnt hatch with a crooked beak, and is just starting to get it, I would say it is genes. Personally I would cull the bird, and I would never use a bird with a crooked beak to breed.

 

[onthespot]

Will do! He has the better "fluff" and toes of the two, and for now a darker comb... but I would hate to have a run full of ones that looked like him, beakwise. Adios other boy... he doesn't have a name.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Before you decide to cull do some research on crossed and crooked beaks. Folks have all kind of opinions but hard data from research is always the way to make a decision.

My research has pointed to many other possible reasons for this abnormality.

 

[onthespot]

LOL, okay, you want to test hatch his first babies and report back to me? I'll pay shipping. To be honest, I don't know how long his beak was crooked, because I haven't been looking at him that much other than to figure out if he was blue or black. I have a really nice black pullet that is the only one I can seem to look at when I look at that pen of birds.