underdeveloped beak

[JayDe]

My incubated eggs just hatched yesterday and I have one chick who hatched earlier than it should have along with the main group of hatchees. It is smaller than the others, hasn't dried out yet, and has a little reddish black chunk of umbilical (i'm guessing) under its vent. It also has a somewhat underdeveloped beak. It almost looks like something hit the beak on the top and took a chunk out. (I'll post a pic later when I get it out of the incubator, we left it in so it'd finish fluffing and another hatched so they are keeping each other company)

My question is: Is there anything that'll help the beak? Can you give new chicks polyvisol and would that help? I have one silkie that I'm treating for crook neck so I have all sorts of vitamins around.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[AccioSarah]

Quote:
I'm new to chickens and am not in any-way an expert. But from what my understanding is is that the beak grows like a finger-nail... which lead me to believe your chicks beak will, in time, grow out.
Although a picture would confirm that it is not something called scissor beak that is not un-commnon in chickens...
I don't know what would help... my guess is calcium, but I would wait for someone else to reply.

Also, to help her eat in the mean time, I've heard that giving a deep dish full of feed will help chickens with poor beaks to pick up the feed.

Hope this helps! Good luck!!

 

[JayDe]

Thank you for your reply

So far it seems to be eating ok..its the top of the beak close to the nostrils that looks like it's missing a small chunk. My rooster did some damage to his beak and it grew back just fine, so I guess I should have realized that. I just want to make sure if the chick needs something extra that I give it to it

Thanks again!

 

[jossanne]

If you give it poly-vi-sol, which would probably be a good idea, make sure it doesn't have iron. Good luck, and keep us posted!