Top and bottom beak not lined up.

donjr

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I know I have seen this subject discussed on here, but I did not have that problem then so I did not pay attention, but now I do. The top beak turns down more than normal and the bottom is angled off to the side , not a lot, but it is. The 7 week old chick is the same size as the other ones, so it is eating just fine, but still it is not right. How can I help it?
 
I just took my Penelope to the vet today. She's had a mad crooked beak since she was a week old...she would have been 10 weeks old tomorrow.
I had to make her wet food and it was a big fiasco every day. She wasn't gaining weight like she should....so I had to make a decision.
If yours is just now showing signs of issues, I'm sure she'll be okay. I've seen a lot of people with birds with funky beaks (I asked around quite a bit! I wanted to save her so badly) that have made it and lived happy lives. Just have to make sure the feeder is deep enough for her to scoop and if the top beak gets too curvy, trim it back a little now and then. (Depending on how bad her beak gets?)
Not sure if what I'm saying is right...but I think I'm on the right track...
Best of luck to you!
hugs.gif
 
It's called crossbeak and it is a genetic defect. Any bird with crossbeak should not be allowed to breed because it is frequently worse in subsequent generations. It worsens over time until eventually it stops progressing at about 16-18 weeks. It can be trimmed to optimize the beak's usefulness if it over grows. Deep feed and water dishes aid birds with crossbeak by allowing them to scoop feed more easily into their mouths. Severe cases can be fatal.

I hope this helps. Good luck. I have a BR with a minor crossbeak and she's done fine. She'll never be pretty, but she is healthy enough.
 
I thought my Penelope was pretty...she was always covered in food and in need of baths...but she was a cute bird...she would have been a beautiful hen, she had gorgeous coloring.

Best of luck again!
 
I had a buff orpington with a beak like that. She took some extra care but not too much. I never used pellets and I always used crumbles. I would give her, the treats separate to make sure she got some. She was very friendly and laid alot of eggs. In the winter, I would often give her warm oat meal.

Good luck!

We called her cross beak. I know it wasn't very creative, but she was smart and came when called. Of course, she was looking for her treats.
 
I forgot to mention she was bad enough to be born with a blind eye. Infact, the one side of her face was deformed. She was two years old when a dog got into my yard and decimated my chickens.
I still miss her, even though, she took the extra care.
 

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