How to Feed a Scissor Beak Chicken

Scissor beaks in chickens are caused by misalignment of the growth plates in the chicken's skull. The top and bottom parts of the beak don't meet correctly, and can grow into odd shapes that make it difficult for the chicken to eat. The problem is genetic, so chickens that have scissor beaks should not be bred. They can't peck at food like a normal chicken, but you can help in certain cases by switching their food to a form that is easily scooped up in their bottom beak.

Instructions

    • 1

      Change the chicken's diet from pellets to mash or crumbles. Mash is a coarse mix of grains ground to a small size. Crumbles are smaller pellets, broken up into pieces.

    • 2

      Feed the chicken from a feeder, not by scattering the food on the ground. Its beak won't close over food on a hard surface. It needs to be able to scoop it up from underneath.

    • 3

      Talk to your vet to see if there are any ways to permanently fix the problem. Some scissor beaks can be fixed with surgery or prosthetic devices.