[jertzee]

Went to get my coop this weekend and had a quick look at some chickens when we were leaving.
The chickens looked healthy, clean eyes etc etc but I noticed that some of them ahd beaks, which although they closed correctly had bits on the side, just a couple of millimetres wide and deep that seemed to hang off the top beak.

It was almost like when you see some plastic moulding and where the pastic has been injected you get that surplus small peice of plastic that you need to file off.

Didn't get a chance to speak to the owner, but just wondering whether that is normal for a chicken to have a beak that wasn't 100% straight edged and smooth.

[8doubles]

Sounds like the 'bits' you saw were anti feather pecking bits which are a temporary cure and far better than de-beaking.

[Casey76]

jertzee, it is perfectly normal   As the outer layer of the beak continually grows (like a human fingernail), if the hens don't get much of a chance to forage in the dirt, or have a hard 9stone) surface to "file" their beaks on you will get a slight overlap.

One of my broody's gets quite an overlap when she is sitting because she is not constantly filing her beak down.

Problems can arise if the beak doesn't meet perfectly, and uneven wearing can cause a beak to cross more than it would naturally.

If you think it is becoming a problem, you can file it down yourself by wrapping a finger in a fine grain sand or glass paper and rub it along the edge of the beak - but in general most hens keep thier neaks filed as they need it.