Cross Beak In Chickens. What It Is. Possible Causes & Care Tips.
*Disclaimer. I am not a veterinary professional. Please see the full content disclaimer on the main blog page. Your responsibility for the care of your livestock animals is entirely your own.*
Cross beak is a physical abnormality which causes a chickens’ beak to be deformed typically with the top and bottom beak being misaligned. In severe cases this may also involve some impact to their facial features.
Cross beak can be caused by a variety of factors: a genetic abnormality, inconsistent temperatures during the incubation process of the egg, severe nutritional deficiencies, or as a result of a physical trauma.
Depending on the severity of the cross beak you may choose to humanely dispatch the chicken. Please never attempt to dispatch/cull a chicken at home without conducting the proper research and acquiring the correct equipment. The American Pastured Poultry Association provides many free resources about this process online. I’m not associated with this organization in any way, just mentioning their readily available resources.
If you’ve made the commitment to raise or rescue a cross beak chicken, it is possible for them to have a quality life and normal life span but the chicken will likely require lifelong care and assistance depending on the severity of their condition.
Cross beak is a permanent condition and while timely trimming can lessen the severity of the condition there is no cure for cross beak. The beak is part of the chickens’ skull and therefore can’t be realigned without harming the chicken or worse. Medically necessitated beak trimming can be made easier by gathering the chicken in a towel burrito (so they can’t flap their wings or injure themselves while struggling) and gently covering their eyes for the experience with an additional small towel or handkerchief. Keep cornstarch or styptic powder handy in case you accidentally trim too severely and cause bleeding. There are many nerve receptors in a chicken’s beak so err on the side of trimming conservatively. The while the initial trim may be done with sharp pet nail clippers it’s recommended to use a file to finish the trim to help prevent over trimming and further physical damage to the chicken. Chicken beaks have nerves, a quick, and blood supply like dog nails. *Beak trimming for your cross beak chicken is not advisable, beneficial, or possible in all cases and should only be done if medically necessary.*Healthy chickens do not require beak trimming.* Professional veterinary services that care for chickens or exotic birds may offer professional beak trimming services if that is an option for you.
Among the chief concerns of raising a cross beak chicken is ensuring they receive enough nutrition as the impacted chicken will have difficulty or be unable to eat normally on their own. It’s recommended to feed mash (which is your regular chicken feed mixed with water to soften it) or fermented feed and to hand feed the chicken a few times a day to ensure they are able to actually ingest the food. You can use a fiber cloth towel or alcohol-free fragrance-free baby wipes to assist the chicken with cleaning their waddles and face after they eat. Ensure your chicken and your flock has access to a dust bath year-round for normal grooming purposes.
Additionally, you may wish to occasionally include vitamin supplement water in with the mash you offer your cross beak chicken for additional nutrients. I would also recommend mixing a small amount (a teaspoon) of chick grit which is very small grit into their mash so they can receive the benefit of grit since with cross beak it’s unlikely they will be able to consume normal size chicken grit. To allow your cross beak chicken to access the calcium in oyster shell, I would prepare an oyster shell tea. Place ¼ cup oyster shell in a heat-safe bowl. Boil water and pour over the oyster shell. Allow to cool completely even overnight. The water will be calcium rich and can be included in the mash or fermented feed for your cross beak chicken (your regular flock will enjoy it too!). You can refrigerate your unused calcium oyster shell tea once it’s cooled. Replace after 7 days or if at any point the tea smells rancid or spoiled. You can monitor your cross beaked chickens’ weight with a scale and check their crop during the day by touch to see if it is full to ascertain if they’re able to eat on their own.
Integrating a disabled chicken into your existing flock poses additional challenges but it is possible, it will just take extra time and patience and a separated enclosure will likely be needed long term if not permanently. Begin by visually introducing the new chicken in a protected enclosure to your existing flock. The enclosure for the new chicken will need its own food, water, and grit. You can create your own enclosure using hardware cloth for maximum protection from predators. Items like a dog crate can be modified to suit this purpose. Once they’ve been introduced visually, monitored physical introductions can begin starting with short periods of acclimation building up to longer ones. Introduce your chickens preferably in an open grazing yard if it is possible with distraction treats and maximum space to allow your new chicken to escape bullying. The pecking order is quite literal and some pecking is to be expected. I intervene if the pecking lasts longer than 30 seconds or if blood is being drawn. Provide your new chicken with plenty of hiding places and visual obstructions like a bale of straw or pallet secured against a wall to help them escape pecking order skirmishes. The acclimation process can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks or longer depending on the flock, their temperament, your facilities, and other additional circumstances. Patience and consistency are key. Maintain separate facilities for as long as needed.
Even though cross beak chickens will require lifelong care many owners enjoy them all the same and they’re loved, valued members of their flock. Your cross beak chicken is also capable of laying eggs although they will not be suitable for hatching. Cross beak chickens with some extra care can still be contributing, productive, cherished members of your backyard flock. Every situation and every flock is different so in addition to the care tips mentioned here you will need to plan a care path that makes the most sense for you, your family, and your flock.
I hope you enjoyed this post about cross beak chickens and how you can still provide them with a happy and quality life. If you would like to enjoy more backyard chicken and homesteading content, check out Chuck’s others social media linked below.
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