Strange beak w/other symptoms UPDATED WITH PIC Pg. 2

[OHMYCHICKIES]

I hope she does good, sometimes I think she's giving up but before you know it she's full of energy and eats and drinks. I keep thinking that as she grows the problem will get less of a problem.

 

[Wynette]

Let's hope that's the case! How did she do over the weekend?

 

[New England]

Thats very strange looking, it looks like its actually inhibiting the growth of the bottom beak. I don't mean to sound cold, but I would cull the little critter. I wouldnt want to breed it, I certainly wouldn't try to fix the beak myself and I am sure the vet bill wont be pretty. Well... I did keep my first cross-beak chick (Hen Penelope), so I am supportive of whatever you decide. My best wishes to the little fellow.

 

[Rogue_Woman]

I'd be tempted to do a fine needle aspiration on the mass to see if anything comes out like pus...could be a bacterial infection that you could use antibiotics on. Other than that I have no clue, but you could always sandpaper down the top beak to help her eat a little, just stop before you get to the quick and have some baking powder on hand to stop the bleeding if you do accidentally hit it. I see nothing worng with just waiting to see what happens though, good luck!

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

She did pretty good. I put her outside and she's more alert and very daring than the others. She's still able to eat and drink. She doesn't sleep as much as she used too. She still falls asleep if I pick her up and put her back on my palm.

The bump doesn't seem that big (maybe a bit more spread out) or she's just growing. Actually looks more like loose skin with a small bump. The bottom beak still seems small. I would hate to cull her because she doesn't seem like she's suffering. Not sure what to do, maybe wait? Not really planning on breeding her but getting her eggs. Would that be bad if we ate her eggs?

 

[Wynette]

If she doesn't seem in any sort of distress, and is able to eat & drink, I see no reason to cull her - just my opinion. I'm sure it would be fine to eat her eggs once she begins laying. You could think about filing down her upper beak a bit if you think it would aid her in eating.

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

How do you file down their beak without hurting them?

 

[Wynette]

Well, you've got to do it slowly, for sure. I have a crossbeak chicken that I've cut off the end of her top beak. I do that with a pair of dog toenail clippers and I have styptic powder on hand just in case I nip the tissue and it bleeds. Honestly, IMO, if she's eating and drinking and of decent weight, I'd just leave her.

 

[Rogue_Woman]

I'm too scared to trim with clippers, so I used fine sandpaper and did it by hand with my cockatoo...she always let me know when I was getting too close to the quick! She once broke the tip of a toenail off, and since I didn't have any of the real coagulation stuff, I used baking powder on the nail to stop the bleeding. Cornstarch is supposed to work too.

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

She is a tad lighter than the others but she eats and drinks. She seems to be always at the feeder getting food.