Crossbeak chick

[3KillerBs]

Probably not what you want to hear, but I currently have a severe crossbeak that I'm starting to doubt will even make it to a decent butchering weight. (just realized that I have the photos on the other computer -- just a minute while I switch).

If a bird cannot eat normally and cannot engage in normal chicken behaviors like foraging, preening, etc. it's not having much of a life.

 

[3KillerBs]

This chick is 9 weeks and just keeps getting worse.

I don't have the ability to feed him(?) separately or even to make mash daily and I fear that he's not able to handle either crumble or pellets well. I am able to give him an open bucket of water, but it's not optimal for the rest of the flock.

I don't want him to suffer slow starvation and to never truly thrive.

 

[Oldhenhens]

Probably not what you want to hear, but I currently have a severe crossbeak that I'm starting to doubt will even make it to a decent butchering weight. (just realized that I have the photos on the other computer -- just a minute while I switch).

If a bird cannot eat normally and cannot engage in normal chicken behaviors like foraging, preening, etc. it's not having much of a life.

Yes thank you. I am beginning to understand the same.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

This chick is 9 weeks and just keeps getting worse.

I don't have the ability to feed him(?) separately or even to make mash daily and I fear that he's not able to handle either crumble or pellets well. I am able to give him an open bucket of water, but it's not optimal for the rest of the flock.

I don't want him to suffer slow starvation and to never truly thrive.

View attachment 3157052

Understandable. My CB is maintaining, not gaining wt at 10 weeks. My original intention was raising for meat anyway. Im going to give him one more week and if still no change it would be safe to assume he’s going to drop weight as metabolic demand exceeds intake.

 

[Daily_Flosser]

Probably not what you want to hear, but I currently have a severe crossbeak that I'm starting to doubt will even make it to a decent butchering weight. (just realized that I have the photos on the other computer -- just a minute while I switch).

If a bird cannot eat normally and cannot engage in normal chicken behaviors like foraging, preening, etc. it's not having much of a life.

I disagree. I have had 2 crossbeak hens. They both have laid eggs, lived with a flock and other than getting separated for a few minutes a day to suppliment by hand feeding, they did all the normal other chicken things. Foraging, dust bathing, preening (though less effective) they don't know they are any different than any other chicken. My current crossbeak lays eggs 5-6 days a week.

 

[Daily_Flosser]

This chick is 9 weeks and just keeps getting worse.

I don't have the ability to feed him(?) separately or even to make mash daily and I fear that he's not able to handle either crumble or pellets well. I am able to give him an open bucket of water, but it's not optimal for the rest of the flock.

I don't want him to suffer slow starvation and to never truly thrive.

View attachment 3157052This looks like an easter egger chick, not a meat bird. She may starve if you're not able to step in and hand feed. its a few minutes a day to keep around the sweetest bird you may ever have.

 

[3KillerBs]

@Daily_Flosser

This looks like an easter egger chick, not a meat bird. She may starve if you're not able to step in and hand feed. its a few minutes a day to keep around the sweetest bird you may ever have.

He is an Olive Egger.

I have no room in my flock to keep a bird who should not be allowed to breed and I will not damage my future reputation as a budding breeder by even giving away a defective bird.

Some people are willing to go to great lengths to care for special needs pet birds. That's their choice. I have neither the time nor the inclination.

I have given him an open bucket of water and I check his crop on the roost a couple times a week to make sure he's still able to eat. If he continues to be able to heat he will be culled with the rest of the unsold cockerels in due time. If he can no longer eat I will cull him immediately so that he doesn't suffer the agony of slow starvation.

My aim is a flock that exhibits vigorous health in all aspects of their life.

 

[WhySayWhat]

This is Shadow, my cross-beak, who came in my order from 4/24/2021. While her 12 "sisters" were all laying by 4-5 months, she didn't start laying until closer to 9 months old, but she now lays an egg just about every day and it's a beautiful light green egg, she's an EE. To help her keep and gain weight, I feed the whole flock in a large dog bowl filled with layer pellets (or crumble, whichever is on sale) then I add almost half a gallon of water to turn it into "chicken oatmeal". The wet mash helps Shadow get the nutrients she needs and all of them think it's the best treat in the whole world! I do also throw out a handful of scratch that has some seeds and meal worms/crickets in it as well to keep the "normal" hens busy so that Shadow can get her fill while they are distracted. Lately, she's taken to going for the scratch as well and has figured out how to pick it up off the floor of the coop! She is stuck to me like glue when I'm in the coop or run, much like my actual shadow, but she was actually named after her dark brown and black resemblance to a horse I had as a child named Shadow...who also followed me around like a shadow...but he was 20+ years older than me and belonged to my Dad's uncle, lol.

While she definitely needs more attention than the rest of the flock, she is thriving as a full member of the flock. I have deep cups on the water buckets for her (though all of the chickens prefer it to the horizontal nipples) and I do have dry feed buckets in the run for them 24/7. Shadow does also eat the dry feed, but before I started doing the wet mash daily, she was spending all day with her head in the feeders and was losing weight! I did not expect her to survive to be officially a "hen", but she has proven to be a strong member of our flock time and time again! She is the first to greet me and want pets and snuggles, it took her a little longer to learn to do "normal" things like go into the coop at night and lay eggs, but once she got the hang of it, she goes above and beyond! She's now the first in the coop every night and is the best layer out of all 5 that lay blue or green eggs, even though they do have a very rough surface, like sandpaper, from her getting "too much" calcium (though I don't have a clue how, I've never seen her in the oyster shell at all)!

 

[Daily_Flosser]

@Daily_Flosser



He is an Olive Egger.

I have no room in my flock to keep a bird who should not be allowed to breed and I will not damage my future reputation as a budding breeder by even giving away a defective bird.

Some people are willing to go to great lengths to care for special needs pet birds. That's their choice. I have neither the time nor the inclination.

I have given him an open bucket of water and I check his crop on the roost a couple times a week to make sure he's still able to eat. If he continues to be able to heat he will be culled with the rest of the unsold cockerels in due time. If he can no longer eat I will cull him immediately so that he doesn't suffer the agony of slow starvation.

My aim is a flock that exhibits vigorous health in all aspects of their life.

Absolutely understandable. We all come from different standards and goals in raising poultry. I keep them for pets, not breeding, Eggs are bonus and byproduct. The people that I help with crossbeak care and feeding are in the same boat. It's not for everyone. A crossbeak is NOT one that would normally thrive without intervention, and In my community (of crossbeak lovers) we strongly advise against ever breeding, regardless of why you think the crossbeak happened (injury, incubation issues, or genetics). No one can know for sure, and so, its best to just keep them as a pet, but never hatch from their eggs. I have seen them make terrific moms to someone elses eggs though. Thanks for sharing, and for maintaining strong vigorous breeding lines.

 

[Daily_Flosser]

I ordered chicks from a hatchery hatch date 5-23-22. This is a frizzle EE. Her beak was barely noticeable on the first day but it quickly got worse. I’ve been checking her crop and it has been full until lately. I don’t know if it is because her beak is worse of if because I moved all the chicks to a bigger grow out coop and she is confused with the bigger area. I used a rocker feeder in the brooder. I thought maybe the change in feeders was the cause so I’ve put the same feeder in the intermediate coop for her. I brought her home and put a brown of food down and she ate vigorously. I’m sure she was hungry. I also tried oatmeal. She tried it but seems to prefer her grower crumbles.
I have never had a Crossbeak. I’ve read articles and watched YouTube videos. I’m at a loss of what else to do for her.
She is already a mama’s girl. I want to help her thrive. Thank you!
View attachment 3156203

How is she doing? I'm happy to help. I've got a lot of experience with crossbeak chickens. I'm part of a huge community that helps them thrive. I'd recommend keeping a weight on her (grams is preferred), so that you can ascertain that she is gaining some each day. Aim for 3 crop fulls a day, minimum. If she isn't able to successfully fill her crop , hand feeding may be required, syringe or torpedo feeding.