Wry beak?

[Drache]

Hello all, I have a black copper maran cross who was hatched in an incubator two weeks ago. She was in a very large dark egg that was round (I had a hard time discerning which end was supposed to be the pointy end) and was an assisted hatch (sticky chick). At first I thought she wouldn't make it because the back of her head/neck had a lot of edema (swelling/fluid) but it went away after a few days.

When she was a few days old I noticed that her top and bottom beaks do not align. It was very minimal at first, but seems to be a lot more pronounced each day. I am concerned that this will cause her to not be able to eat, and/or may lead to other issues later on. At this point she seems to be eating and grooming herself fine, but I was wondering if anyone has seen something like this before and what the outcome was?

I cannot keep cockerels where I live, so if this chick turns out to be male he will most likely be destined for the dinner table. I am hoping for a pullet because I keep chickens for their eggs. I am not concerned about passing on genetic infirmities because like I said, I don't keep roosters. I would not allow a bird like this to reproduce, but in this situation that wont be a concern.

Here is a photo from today.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Sorry about your chick. They are fairly common, if you do a search on Cross Beak especially you will find a lot of threads here is a long one with a lot of stories of birds people kept with them https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-for-special-needs-chickens-and-their-keepers
If it is mild they can live without any particular extra care beyond trimming the beak occasionally and maybe using a deep food dish.

 

[Eggcessive]

This is known as "cross beak." There is a lot of information available here on BYC when you do a search at the top of the page for "cross beak chicken." Sometimes beaks can be trimmed, and feeding moist food in bowls with higher sides can help them eat. I haven't had a cross beak bird, but they can live a good life as long as they can get enough food. Here are some links to read:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/44060/chick-with-cross-beak-pics
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/03/scissor-beak-aka-crossed-beak-what-it.html

 

[Drache]

Ah, thank you very much! I had never actually heard the term "cross beak". Very helpful, thank you. It appear that some chicks stop thriving with this condition, and if that happens then we will likely cull, but not before. Keep your fingers crossed!