5 day old chick developed cross beak

[Red Horse]

This week I sneaked some hatchery chicks under my broody olive egger and she's been doing what seems like a great job (this is my first time not raising the chicks in a brooder myself). Today was the first day I got to let her out of the run with them and sit and check them over throughly, and I found that this little olive egger had cross beak. I have pictures of them from the day I brought them home and it doesn't look like she had it then. They're 5 days old so I'm trying to figure out what happened?

She hasn't even been on my watch list so far... she's been eating, drinking, and has definitely been the zoomiest. How bad does it look? Can she live a comfortable life?

 

[sourland]

That's not too bad right now, but sometimes it will become progressively worse. Monitor her for deterioration.

 

[Red Horse]

That's not too bad right now, but sometimes it will become progressively worse. Monitor her for deterioration.

Thank you, I will! At this age, do you think it's more likely genetic or that something happened? This hen is smaller than I would have liked for this number of chicks and I did have one that was pasting up until today, so I've been worried about lack of sufficient warmth being a factor?

 

[sourland]

It may just be coincidence, but it seems that cross beak is more common in birds with the blue egg genetic background.

 

[Red Horse]

It may just be coincidence, but it seems that cross beak is more common in birds with the blue egg genetic background.

That's such a bummer, I had no idea. Hopefully she doesn't get any worse... she's an absolute menace to Mom and sisters, I feel like she'll be fine if she can keep eating well!