Too old for egg tooth?

[K0k0shka]

I have a 3-week-old chick that still has its egg tooth... I've never seen that before on a chick this old. The chick is being raised by a broody with the flock and is outside where it has rocks and things to scratch and peck at, so I'm surprised that the egg tooth has held on this long. Could this cause problems in any way? Or is it just a weird chick? I have 6 chicks from that batch and only this one still has an egg tooth. It's growing and feathering out on track, eats, drinks, flutters and acts normal in every way.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

It's too long. I'd try to get it off, if possible. If you look closely to your first and second picture, it looks like the beak is changing color under it, which is
a bad thing. I'd try pulling it off by sliding something thin under it (I'd use my fingernail) and edging it off. If it starts bleeding under it, stop, take a break, and work on it later until you can get it off. If that fails, I'd file it off with a nail file.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I've had chicks in the past that held onto their egg tooth for up to a month. I've never worried about it, and it always falls off on its own eventually. I don't see any discoloration or anything else that would cause me any kind of alarm in the pictures posted. I'd just leave it be if it were my chick.

 

[K0k0shka]

I've had chicks in the past that held onto their egg tooth for up to a month. I've never worried about it, and it always falls off on its own eventually. I don't see any discoloration or anything else that would cause me any kind of alarm in the pictures posted. I'd just leave it be if it were my chick.

I'm so glad to hear that, thanks for sharing your experience! The chick is very friendly and I'm considering keeping it as a pet (it was originally meant to be eaten) so I don't want to scare it and break its trust by trying to forcefully remove the egg tooth if I don't have to. It comes to me to snuggle and naps on my shoulder

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Oh, I understand that completely! The darn things just run away with your heart sometimes, even if you go in guarded! As far as the egg tooth goes, I honestly wouldn't worry about it no matter how long it sticks around. The outer sheath of the beak grows like our fingernails do and is worn down through normal chicken activities or through purposeful actions like rubbing the beak against stone and other hard surfaces, so eventually that tooth will come off just from that. It's not really a feature that can impede eating or normal growth or anything like that, so it's not really anything to worry about, at least in my opinion.

 

[K0k0shka]

Oh, I understand that completely! The darn things just run away with your heart sometimes, even if you go in guarded! As far as the egg tooth goes, I honestly wouldn't worry about it no matter how long it sticks around. The outer sheath of the beak grows like our fingernails do and is worn down through normal chicken activities or through purposeful actions like rubbing the beak against stone and other hard surfaces, so eventually that tooth will come off just from that. It's not really a feature that can impede eating or normal growth or anything like that, so it's not really anything to worry about, at least in my opinion.

That's great! Yeah that was my main concern, if it would impede growth in any way (until it falls off). I'll leave it alone. I'll update the thread when it does fall off, and note how old the chick was. And maybe someday it will win an Oldest Chick With Egg Tooth contest

 

[K0k0shka]

4 weeks old today and still holding on to that egg tooth... though it's much smaller now and only at the very tip of the beak. This chick is so calm and sweet - if it ends up a girl, it will definitely get to live out its life!

 

[K0k0shka]

FINAL UPDATE: The egg tooth lasted 1 month and now it finally fell off! The chick's beak looks totally normal. This is my favorite chick from this year's batch of 6, and it's looking female to me (right?), so she gets to live!

Here she is - the one closest to my chest in both pictures:

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Woo hoo! This feels like a momentous occasion, almost like a child losing their first tooth!

She looks female so far, but some breeds mature much more slowly than others so males don't become apparent until a bit later. What breed is she, a Buff Orpington? Hatchery or breeder quality?

 

[TwoCrows]

FINAL UPDATE: The egg tooth lasted 1 month and now it finally fell off! The chick's beak looks totally normal. This is my favorite chick from this year's batch of 6, and it's looking female to me (right?), so she gets to live!

Here she is - the one closest to my chest in both pictures:
View attachment 3514654 View attachment 3514655

Sweetheart with or without her egg tooth!