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

[Wynette]

Well, she could be at the feeder a lot because she's not getting enough. It's so very hard to tell. Let me share s tory about one of mine that I'm not proud of. My crossbeak was constantly at the feeder, so I thought she was getting enough - then one day I opened up the pophole door for them to come out of the coop in the morning, and she stumbled down the ramp to the run; I immediately picked her up to look her over and could tell right away that she'd dropped a bunch of weight. I ended up getting some baby bird handfeeding formula and hand feeding her with a syringe for 3 days, several times a day, until she regained strenght; then, I trimmd her beak for the first time. Yes, I drew blood and felt horrible about it; but, the bleeding stopped immediately with the styptic powder, and by that evening, she was at the feeder and was most definitely getting more to eat.

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

I'm constantly keeping an eye on her. I think I'll try to trim her beak but I'll definitely get some styptic powder first. I would hate for her to bleed or her to move while I'm trimming. It's scary because I'm a newbie at raising chickens. I do see that when she eats the bumps moves out towards the beak area. Very weird looking.

 

[Emzyyy]

I had a promblem w/ one of my bantems before. The top beak went one way and the other went the other way. It wasn't like that when I got her and I didn't know what was wrong I took her to my neighbor who's like a chicken expert you could say, and he had no clue what was wrong w/ it. Then her toes became all wrong looked like they were broken. She ended up dying a few days later. I felt bad, because my parents don't think its worth it to drive a chicken to a vet, because we also have hedgehogs, boston terriers, parakets, zebra finches, a tortoise, and 4 chickens. Next year I think we will get some more chickens we usually get 2 or 3 at a time, or some ducks I had my duck Cinnamon for 8 years.

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

Don't think she's gonna make it. She's not growing as much as the others anymore. Her top beak keeps growing and her bottom is staying the same. Can't cut it because it will affect her nose area. Today, she seemed tired. Tonight when I was putting her to bed she stretched out like gasping for air, but then gets distracted and she's normal. She follows me around when I go outside. I guess I was hoping she outgrew it but it doesn't look like it. Dog gone it, why is it that we get so attached to these little guys.

 

[Wynette]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this! I was looking through my Chicken Health Handbook, and there's a picture of a chick with a very long top beak and shorter bottom beak - picture says it's Rickets. It states it's the most common nutritional deficiency of growing birds. But, it says symptoms are: depression, frequent squatting, stiff-legged gait or inability to stand, slow growth, ruffled feathers, easily bendable beak, bowed or twisted legs or wings, enlarged joints...I don't think she has all this going on, does she? If so, you could have Rickets on your hands. Treatment is vitamin D3 supplement, 3 times the normal amount for 3 weeks, then reduce to normal amount. It says to take care, because excess vitamin D in feed can be toxic. Also says for chicks, one-time dose of 15,000 IU vitamin D3. May be a long shot, but if she's got any other of the above symptoms, you may want to give it a try. Hopefully, someone else with much more experience than me will come along and offer some better advice. I'm so sorry! :aww

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

She doesn't have much of the symptoms listed, although she has the larger top beak and but she doesn't squat much, if anything, she sleeps standing up. Her beak doesn't bend. She used to be the same size as the others but now she's smaller probably because of food intake. But I'm wondering if I should try the Vitamin D anyways. She's absolutely fine this morning, she has the will to live and that is why I can't seem to cull her. She tried to eat corn like the others, I think she got some.

 

[Wynette]

Awe, poor thing. It's so hard to watch them go downhill. Have you offered her some yogurt, or cooked oatmeal? That's a treat that might her her interested in working harder to eat, and I think they can get it down easier than just free-flowing feed. I have a chicken with a severe crossbeak, and I put her food in a deep dish, and water it down, and stir it up so it sort of makes chunks - little blobs. They are easier for her to grab with her malformed beak.

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

I haven't given her yogurt yet. I'll see how she does with it. Can we give them instant oatmeal?

 

[Wynette]

Yes, it should be cooked. I mix cooked oatmeal with the yogurt, and sprinkle a bit of sea kelp on top. You could sprinkle some grower feed on top if you wish - good way to get them back being interested in eating.

 

[burquechick]

It looks to me like she has a tumor which is stunting the growth of her bottom beak.