Crooked beak in chicks

[Guest]

I am getting 2-3 chicks per year that have crooked beaks. The birds that develop this condition are not as robust as the average chick.  Does anyone know where I can find some documented causes?

Thanks!

[Guest]

Hello Kent,
How many chicks are you hatching in a year? If you\'re hatching lots of birds and only getting 2-3 with crooked beaks, that\'s not a super serious problem yet. But, if you\'re only hatching a hundred or fewer birds and getting that number of crooked beaks I\'d be concerned. Birth defects can happen, that much is normal with chickens just as it is with all livestock and humans as well. If you are keeping track of your breeding pens and know which breeder(s) these crooked beaked chicks are coming from you can cull them from your flock and keep from creating more carriers of hidden genetic defects.

To answer your question directly, crooked beaks can be caused by mechanical injuries and of course genetics. The chicks with crooked beaks aren\'t usually able to eat effectively, so I would expect them to not gain weight or be \'fit\'. I don\'t have any sources for you to read or look for photos, although, most poultry rearing books touch on the subject at least a little bit.

Regards,
Dan

[John]

Birth defects can happen, that much is normal with chickens just as it is with all livestock and humans as well. If you are keeping track of your breeding pens and know which breeder(s) these crooked beaked chicks are coming from you can cull them from your flock and keep from creating more carriers of hidden genetic defects.

Amen.
It is off the subject, but I think we have a great bunch of contributors to this Forum.  We don\'t all know the same information about poultry and we are all learning from each other.  Even the topics that touch on genes and what to expect from crossing birds with various genes is great infomation and can save years of trial and error breeding.  
If you don\'t know...ask.  I\'ve said it before and I\'ll say it again:  No one was born with the knowledge they have!  

[Guest]

Landauer did a study and found that crossed beak can be due to incubator conditions. It seems as though the abnormal development of the eye can cause the beak to be crossed.

Several studies were carried out and most of the studies did not come to a definate conclusion if the trait was recessive.

Sounds like it is congenital in your case.

Rooster