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Scissor beak

 
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I have had chickens for about 20 years now and never experienced it until this year. One of my Easter eggers has a very pronounced scissors beak. I don't think she had it when I got her. I work for the co-op I got her from and we did get a call from another customer that got one too.
She seems to eat and drink fine. She is growing and looks like the other chicks I got at the same time. Her chick mates aren't  picking  on her. I'm just going to leave her to be her unique self.
I just wondered if any of you have experienced this, and if there's anything I should or shouldn't do. Thanks.
 
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I've had one like this, too (I think she is an older hen given to me who has evaded various culls). Since she is eating and keeping her weight up, I have just let her be.
 
pollinator
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I had an old hen with this pretty bad who was finding it difficult to pick up pellets so I very carefully clipped the tip of her beak with nail clippers.  There was a definite difference in colour between the living and the non-living tissue, and the non-living was somewhat thin and pliable like an overgrown fingernail.  I trimmed it lightly because I didn't want to cut her too close and hurt her.  She was fine after that--still mild scissor beak--and I didn't need to do it again.
 
rocket scientist
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I've got a scissor beak hen of 7 years old.
From time to time her beak grows so long that it locks on itself.
If that's about to happen, I pick her up from the roost bar in the evening, wrap her in a towel and very carefully clip her beak with nailclippers for dogs.
Since her beak is gray, it's a bit difficult to see the living nerve, there has to be very good lighting when clipping.
She doesn't like the clipping at all, but sits bravely more or less still. With the towel, it can be done by one person only, the towel holding the hen in place, one hand around her head, the other clipping. But its better with two people, one holding the hen, the other can concentrate on the clipping.
As an emergency backup I've got a  powder that stops bleeding at hand, made of green clay powder with ground yarrow leaf powder in it.

Since her scissor beak is quite pronounced, it's difficult for her to eat grains or pellets (but she's mastered the art of clipping grass).
That's why there's permanently a mug in the feeding tub. Whenever I add grains/pellets, I pour them into the mug, so that the mug overflows into the tub.
It's easy for Scissor beak to eat from the mug - she doesn't have to pick up the grains with her beak but can just dive in with an open beak

 
S Philomena
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Thank you, Nina. I was going to add: https://the-chicken-chick.com/scissor-beak-aka-crossed-beak-what-it/ There are some options if you want to intervene.
 
Jen Fulkerson
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Thank you very much. I was unaware I could, or should trim her beak. I will keep an eye on it. I used to use the chicken nipple water, but switched to the auto cup system. Maybe I should do both.
Thanks
 
Jen Fulkerson
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Well I did it. I trimmed her beak. I wish I hadn't. Her beak is almost 90 degrees.  She seems fine, but the most eager to eat, even for a chicken. I decided to see if I could make it a little easier for her. I used a flashlight to try to see the quick. I trimmed a very small piece of the top and bottom. Both bled, and it wasn't enough to help at all. I'm sure I caused her pain for no gain.  I doubt I will do it again, unless it gets very long.
Tomorrow I will get everything I need to make a chicken nipple waterer. She must be able to drink because we have had temps in the high 90s, & 100. She made it through those days, and she wouldn't if she wasn't drinking, thought I don't know how she does it.
I just wish I could do something to make it easier.  I have a flat tray I fill with crumbles, and fill with water to make a mush consistency. I see her eating from the hanging feeder to, but I don't know how much food she actually gets. She seems to really enjoy the fermented grains. Again I don't know how much she gets. She is active and acts like all the other chickens, except acting like she is starving all the time, even more than "normal". She's on the small side, but looks healthy, and isn't lethargic, and acts like all the others.
She  always follows me around, now she will probably avoid me. Maybe I will bring home some meal worms tomorrow and see if I can make it up to her.
 
Nina Surya
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Hi Jen,

Sorry to hear she had pain and bled, that's not a nice experience for either of you.
About the feeding & watering: my scissor beak chicken eats best from a cup filled with grain. She plunges her beak into the cup, shoveling it full and in this method she can scoop food.
With this hot weather I've also placed dog feeding bowls filled with fresh water in different foraging spots in the shade. I think the plunging trick helps her eat and drink.

Good luck!
 
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