Hello again--Anyone familiar with crooked beaks?

Hello there everyone...I hope you all are well and happy . I haven't posted anything in so long! I find myself logging on almost every day...just because I love reading everyone's posts and seeing what you all have to say, but sadly, I only ever get a few moments of quiet at a time. Alas...a rare posting from myself.

At the moment however, I thought it crucial to take a few extra minutes tonight because I am in need of some advice and guidance from all of you out there...many of you have so much experience and expertise whereas I am a newbie to the fabulous world of poultry. I have a brand new batch of chicks...well...actually 3 weeks new as of yesterday. I have Plymouth Barred Rock, Cochin, Buff Orphington, Wyandotte, Australorp, Spangles Russian Orloff and Ameraucana. All sixty-four of them are doing amazingly well...dozens of little fuzzy butts running afoot...mesmerizing me and captivating my heart. One little guy however, a little tiny Ameraucana, has an incredibly crooked beak! It started off only a little out-which I noticed last week-but now it is much more noticeable. The kids affectionately call him/her Crook . Now little Crook appears fantasticaly healthy...eating and drinking perfectly well and running a hundred miles an hour around the brooder...so I am at a loss to decide how concerned I should be about his beak?

Anyone who has any advice is more than welcome to throw in their two cents...I would very much appreciate your input! Thank you everyone and take care




Crook1 by Keibler77, on Flickr

Crook last Monday




Crook2 by Keibler77, on Flickr

Crook today

I had a similar experience but my little guy ended up dying. They can't eat properly, but if somehow he does survive he will never gain much weight so probably never get to a size to butcher. If you decide to let him try to survive this is what I was told to expect. I would suggest to cull him for his own sake especially if his beak changed that drastically in one week as it could get even worse. Good luck with him

I would sadly agree Keibler, He is just going to get worse as he grows, and it never turns out well. It is hard when you have kids that have affectionately named him, but they are never content, never happy and I feel it is the most humane to just cull them.
It is also a genetic trait, I have had 3 of these little guys now out of about 50 of the silvers I have hatched and 1 I never noticed till she was 3 weeks old, I could never figure out why she was always so noisy. Her beak was not crooked but was very overgrown on the top, we tried trimming it back as a 3 week old but by the time she hit 4 weeks old you could see it was not going to get any better and so we culled her.

Glad to hear the rest of the birds are doing well.

Also could you send me your address we have a little care package for Chad to ship to you guys.

Thank you so much both of you...I appreciate your honesty. I did do some internet digging on the crooked beak subject and sadly, I came up with basically the same info you have just shared. Everything I've looked at suggests culling as the best way to go. Boy oh boy! As an insane lover of all creatures and critters...nobody said this part was ever going to be easy right? Big deep breath and time to learn that some things in life are just for the best I suppose .

Hidden--I will pm you the addy...you have piqued my curiosity! And yes...all of the other chicks are doing wonderfully! Growing so outrageously fast too! It is so interesting to watch the differences in the breeds as they grow...we have one Australorp who is an absolute monster! Lol. I have a little stool beside the brooder (which is huge--hard to catch the stinkers in there) and I spend many an hour...or two..lol...sitting and just watching them. Seriously.......television? Who needs that when I have those little darlings! Chad often grumbles a typical "Are you STILL watching those darned chickens?" Hehe. I have even found a favourite already...ok many...but one I have already named with the hopes that she is......well.......a she! Ha! It is one of the Orloffs and she/he is beautiful! Due to the gorgeous rusty-red colour I have named her Ginger..and if she turns out to be a he...then I suppose he will become just plain Gin

Anyway...Thank you so much again for the advice and thanks bunches and bunches Hidden for helping along my newfound love! Your words of wisdom are always appreciated and most welcome.

Take care all

I too have had this 2 times. The first was one lived as a pet in our home and lived to be 1 year and 3 months. He did really well as a pet but i believe that if i would have left him out in the coop he would have never made it.. I fed him in very deep dishes(he wasted alot of food) and bathed him once a month for he could not clean himself properly. We loved him dearly and it totaly crushed my heart when he died(May 19,12). On may 28th i hatched out some chicks and had one crossed beak i did not hesitate i grabbed it out and held it in a bucket of warm water..I could not do that again..

My advice is that if you can handle the loss then by all means keep it but in the house as a pet. They can not eat,clean,fight like the others.

If you dont deal well with the losses i would put it down soon. The heart grows fonder everyday..

Best of luck to you and chickies!

Jody