Diary of a Crossbeak: Support for Special Needs Chickens and their Keepers

[Little Roughian]

Thanks everyone. I already miss having my little Stewie come running to see me. Thank you everyone for all your help.

 

[Mac14]

Lost Peepers when he was 5 yrs old due to a chicken sitter not feeding ( lost a few birds because of that)

Was he the one that is in your profile pic? Sorry about that. If you are using the same chicken sitter don't hire them again!

 

[Little Roughian]

Sorry about Peepers! I may have strangled the sitter.

Maybe thats what I should do... start chicken sitting. Or just adopt a bunch of "special needs" chickies. I'm a sucker for all their personalities. Stewie had me wrapped around her crooked little beak.

Lost Peepers when he was 5 yrs old due to a chicken sitter not feeding ( lost a few birds because of that)

 

[ramirezframing]

Yes Peepers is my pic. I went outta town and DH was in charge, well he had to leave so the neighbor boy (young man) said he would feed the animals. I thought he would since #1 he has his own chickens and #2 I said I would pay him. My dad found out that they hadn't been fed for a week when he went to see what feed I needed for the next week. (he gets my feed with his for a discount) So dad started feeding til DH came home, but it was too late for a few of my birds. I haven't seen the neighbor boy on propose, so I don't kill him! Which means he ain't been paid either, cause I will hand him a bill if he ever asks, but its been a few months now so I don't think he's gonna ask.

 

[BullChick]

My M-I-L was asked to water my vegetable garden. She never came for a week. When I got home, she showed up, looked at the garden, and COMPLAINED that the garden was dead. We should have watered it more.

Her other son had come daily to feed the fish, and didn't bother to water the garden either. He lives with her, so he knew what was going on. His excuse? "It wasn't my job"
If ya want it done, you have to do it yourself. I am still looking for someone to trust should I have to leave town for more than a few days. I am hoping I can call my nephew, and have him stay here.

 

[cindersga]

Cindy, I think it is more of the cause of the crossbeak that helps determine their health. If it is genetic, there could very well be other problems internally that we cannot see that might contribute to an early passing. My silkie girl is 2 years old now and doing great but she isn't very severe. The younger girl I have is a little over a year and still doing well, raising chicks so I am hoping she continues to thrive!

That makes sense. I have no idea if this was a genetic thing or not. We were given 4 chicks that were a few days old. She started developing the crookedness over time. She is 6 months old now. She is such a character and she was our only non-silkie, until we got these three mystery eggs that are also not silkies. She is a Mille Fleur d'Uccle.

Lost Peepers when he was 5 yrs old due to a chicken sitter not feeding ( lost a few birds because of that)

You know that is my fear also. We have a really nice family that lives next door who has chickens also. I wasn't worried about them remembering to do it... I was worried about their 4 children chasing my new silkie chicks all over the place and giving them a heart attack or stepping on one and killing it. But, all was well when I returned. So sorry about what happened to Peepers.

Sorry about Peepers! I may have strangled the sitter.

Maybe thats what I should do... start chicken sitting. Or just adopt a bunch of "special needs" chickies. I'm a sucker for all their personalities. Stewie had me wrapped around her crooked little beak.

Ahhh Stewie what a doll. You know I saw a story on TV about a woman in the UK who started a chicken babysitting business!!! She had herself a regular chicken hotel. She even had a chicken stroller it was crazy. But you know with so many people getting into raising their own meat, eggs, etc. it could actually be a viable business for someone. You should DO IT

My M-I-L was asked to water my vegetable garden. She never came for a week. When I got home, she showed up, looked at the garden, and COMPLAINED that the garden was dead. We should have watered it more.

Her other son had come daily to feed the fish, and didn't bother to water the garden either. He lives with her, so he knew what was going on. His excuse? "It wasn't my job"
If ya want it done, you have to do it yourself. I am still looking for someone to trust should I have to leave town for more than a few days. I am hoping I can call my nephew, and have him stay here.

I have a vegetable garden also plus lots of flower beds. It's always a struggle to leave and worry about them shriveling up and dying. It's hard when it's your M-I-L to say anything

Hope you can find someone better if you have to leave again.

 

[cindersga]

Hi all, With all the diseases & illnesses that are floating about these days in poultry, we see time and time again people asking whats wrong with my hen or duck etc and advising of the symptoms. Well here you can now look for the symptoms for your poultry and check what disease or illness to associated with it. We hope this file helps you!

Symptom Checker .............


Bald Patches: Feather Pecking, Moulting, Lice

Blood in droppings: Coccidiosis, Worms

Chicks:Blood in Stools - Coccidiosis

Lame - Splayed leg or injury

Noisy - hungry/thirsty (have feed/water available at all times) or cold/hot
(huddled together = cold, spaced out at edges of brooder = hot)

Comb:
Small - normal for young pullet and some types of hen
Pink - normal for young pullet, Anaemia
Pale - sign of illness, look for other symptoms like Anaemia
Black - normal skin colour for some breeds or Frostbite
Scabby - Bullying, Northern Mite
Coughing: Respiratory Problems

Crop:
Crop feels like water balloon - Sour Crop
Hard lump in crop - Impacted Crop

Diarrhoea - Diet, Worms, Coccidiosis

Droppings - There are a huge range of chicken droppings to view (please see our other files)

Eggs:
Drop in production - Diet, Worms, Fleas, Red Mite, Egg Peritonitis, common in older hens
Stopped laying - Diet, Moulting, Egg Bound, Worms, Egg Peritonitis, common in older hens
Thin shells - Diet, Egg Peritonitis, also give Mixed Grit, add Apple Cider Vinegar or Tonic to water, common in older hens
Powdery shells - Extra calcium on shell, can be caused by stress
Blood spots - Less common in free-range hens and those on grass, eggs OK to eat
Watery eggs - Common in older hens

Eyes:
Swollen - Injured Eye, Sinus Infection
Closed most of the time - this is general sign of illness so look for other symptoms, they also do this when it's windy and they nap during the day
Bleeding - Injury, Bullying
Face & Eye Swollen - Sinus Infection

Feathers:
Fluffed up - general sign of illness if hen is hunched up, if reluctant to leave nest box see Broody
Loosing Feathers - Feather Pecking, Moulting, Lice

Gasping for air - Respiratory Diseases, Gapeworm

Head shaking - Sinus Infection, Respiratory Disease, Fleas

Legs:
Lame - Injury, Mareks Disease
Scaly - Scaly Leg Mite, can be a sign old age

Scratching - Fleas, Lice, Red Mites

Sneezing - Sinus Infection, Respiratory Diseases

Staying out at night - Red Mites

Straining - Egg Bound, Egg Peritonitis

Sudden Death - Heart Attack

Wheezy Chest - Respiratory Diseases

Wing Hanging Down - Injury, Mareks disease


Chicken Problems, The symptoms and Treatments


Anaemia
Symptoms: Pale comb and wattles, often caused by parasites
Treatment: Tonic in water, apply Diatom powder to the hen, clean the coop with Poultry Shield.

Broody
Symptoms: Hen sat on nest box, feather fluffed out, aggressive behaviour
Treatment: All hens can go broody although some breeds are more likely to. If you want her to produce chicks, let her sit on fertilised eggs. If you don't, remove her from the nest as often as possible until she gives up. It may be advisable to wear gloves!

Bullying
Symptoms: Feathers missing, wounds, weight loss, reluctance to leave coop, usually soon after getting hens home or adding new hens to a flock
Treatment: Anti-bacterial wound powder for wounds, anti-pecking spray, ensure they get food -some bullied hens will give up trying to eat and simply waste away!

Coccidiosis
Symptoms: diarrhoea, blood or mucus in droppings, most commonly found in chicks but not exclusively, can result in death or leave permanent damage to the gut
Treatment: Coxoid in drinking water as soon as possible, followed by a multi-vitamin tonic. Use Bi-oo-cyst to kill oocysts in coop/brooder and on drinkers, feeders etc.
Prevention: Vaccination, chick crumb containing a coccidiostat, good hygiene

Dehydration
Symptoms: Hen looks unsteady on her feet
Treatment: Provide fresh clean water, if not drinking use dropper to drip water into her mouth. Can be a symptom of another condition - look for other symptoms.

Diarrhoea
Symptoms: Runny droppings, dirty feathers around bottom
Treatment: Ensure plenty of clean drinking water is available. Feed only layers pellets or mash, with a little corn if it's winter, until the problem improves. Do not give greens or kitchen scraps. A Tonic may help if the problem has been long lasting. If you haven't wormed the flock recently, treat with Wormer.
Egg Bound
Symptoms: Hen looks like she is straining with her bottom close to the ground
Treatment: Difficult to treat, oil (vegetable/baby) around the vent may help, if the egg is broken there is severe risk of infection so please see a vet. Can lead to Prolapse.

Egg Peritonitis
Symptoms: Swollen abdomen, loss of weight, laying soft shelled or no eggs, generally looks unwell, if severe can cause respiratory distress
Treatment: Antibiotics if diagnosed early

Feather Pecking
Symptoms: Feathers missing, bloody wound if severe, can occur when new hens are introduced to a flock or if hens are over-crowded, bored hens can even peck their own feathers out!Treatment: Anti-bacterial wound powder or Gentian Violet Spray for open wounds
Prevention: Anti-pecking spray on new hens, prevent hens becoming bored (more space to forage, perches in run etc).

Fleas
Symptoms: Small insects that jump, reduction in egg production, anaemia, scratching.
Treatment: Apply Diatom directly onto the hen, especially under the wings and around the bottom, clean the coop with Poultry Shield. Also Tonic in water.
Prevention: Use Diatom regularly inside the coop and on your hens.

Frostbite
Symptoms: Cockerel's comb turns black, the tips may fall off if severe. Hens are less likely to be affected.
Prevention: Rub Vaseline on comb during cold spells

Gapeworms
Symptoms: Gasping, head shaking, neck stretching, gurgling sound (easily confused with respiratory diseases)
Treatment: Worm with Flubenvet

Heart Attacks
Symptoms: Sudden death, usually in older chickens, often as a result of stress.

Impacted Crop
Symptoms: Hard lump in the crop, watery droppings, fluid from mouth
Treatment: Get oil (olive, vegetable) into crop and try to massage the lump so it breaks up and can be passed through the digestive system. If this does not work, see your vet.
Prevention: Use wood shavings instead of straw/hay for bedding and do not feed long grass.

Injury / Open wound
Symptoms: Bleeding, Wound, Sore, Redness
Treatment: If severe apply pressure to stop the blood flow, if just a graze clean the wound, dust with anti-bacterial wound powder or Gentian Violet Spray

Muscle / Soft Tissue
Symptoms: Limping
Treatment: Limit hen's movement to rest the damaged area, make sure she can reach food and water, this takes time but it should heal itself

Eyes
Symptoms: Bleeding, swelling. Can be caused by pecking, accident, foreign object in the eye, sometimes the eye can be missing altogether.
Treatment: Bathe the eye area carefully to see the damage, remove foreign object if present, she may need anti-bacterial eye drops from your vet, if the eye is absent see your vet.

Lice Symptoms: small insects (1-4mm) crawling on the hen at the base of the feather, white spots at the base of the feather are eggs, reduction in egg production, anaemia, scratching.
Treatment: Apply Diatom directly onto the hen, especially under the wings and around the bottom, clean the coop with Poultry Shield.
Prevention: Use Diatom regularly inside the coop and on your hens.

Marek's Disease
Symptoms: Paralysis of one leg and/or one wing, loss of mobility, death. Usually occurs in birds between 12 and 28 weeks old.
Treatment: None Prevention: Vaccination as a very young chick, buy vaccinated stock - all the hens and chicks sold by Durham Hens are vaccinated against Mareks.

Moulting
Symptoms: Loosing feathers, not laying
Treatment: Natural process occurring once a year, Poultry Spice can help hens recover quickly

Northern Mite
Symptoms: small insects (less than 1mm) crawling on the hens, anaemia, scratching, reduction in egg production
Treatment: Apply Diatom directly onto the hen, especially under the wings and around the bottom, clean the coop with Poultry Shield. Also Tonic in water.
Prevention: Use Diatom regularly inside the coop and on your hens.

Prolapse
Symptoms: Internal tissues sticking out of the vent, hen distressed.
Treatment: See your vet

Red Mite
Symptoms: Anaemia, scratching, reluctance to go into the coop and/or lay in nest boxes
Detection: Use Red Mite Alert to detect the presence of red mite in your coop.
Treatment: Tonic in water, thoroughly clean the coop with Poultry Shield, apply Diatom regularly to the hens.
Prevention: Dust Diatom regularly inside the coop and on your hens. Clean the coop with Poultry Shield.

Respiratory Diseases (many with similar symptoms/treatments)
Symptoms: Coughing, sneezing, wheezy chest, head shaking, discharge from nostrils
Treatment: Separate hen from flock, give Herban, Respite or antibiotics (Tylan or Baytril) from your vet

Scaly Leg Mite
Symptoms: Scales lifted on legs
Treatment: Apply Scaly Leg Spray

Sinus Infection Symptoms: Swollen patch below the eye on one or both sides, if severe the eye area may be swollen too, also water/pus from eye/nostril.
Treatment: Separate hen from flock, Herban or antibiotic from your vet

Sour Crop
Symptoms: The crop will feel like a water balloon, soft and squishy.
Treatment: Caused by a fungal infection. Tip the hen forward to let the fluid pour out of the crop through her mouth (CAUTION: do not hold her like this for long as she needs to breathe!) Feed natural yoghurt. If it doesn't improve quickly see your vet.

Splayed leg
Symptoms: In newly hatched chicks, one leg sticks out awkwardly, unable to walk/stand.
Treatment: Tie a piece of wool around one leg at about knee height, leave about 2cm loose between the legs and then tie to the other leg at the same height. This will act like a splint and keep the legs in the correct position. Remove after 2 days or when the chick can walk unaided.

Worms
Symptoms: diarrhoea, blood in droppings
Treatment: worm regularly with Wormer
Although this is a very good list it is not an exhaustive list and there are many more ailments and conditions poultry suffer with and from just like us humans, so please take that into account when reading or using this information, Thanks

 

[BullChick]

I am pretty sure I saw the answer in this thread, but I am not patient enough to keep reading every post. So, here is my question: Are layer pellets harder or easier for a cross beak to eat?

 

[Texas Granny]

Producers and some hatcheries "debeak" birds for you. Maybe a Vet would. The beaks are trimmed so the bird can eat. It's so sad to see birds deformed and you are real sweetheart for caring for the bird. Sometimes in the quest for birds producing more eggs or more meat, deformed birds are the result. It also happens when roosters aren't changed out and inbreeding occurs.

 

[kilby]

I searched what do crossbeaks eat and also used my browsers find tool for layer pellets.
all good stuff
try this heart warming story.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/386912/feeding-a-cross-beak-hen

Crumble as it is so powdery seems to me made easier by wetting enough of it to make a paste and she can gobble it easier. I have an organic layer with powdery supplements and that is what they say to do with the fines at the end without the kibble parts. Mine love it that way too. I am sure your crossbeak can get enough that way. Crumble is not powdery I suppose but some of it will be. Dust is not good for any hen to breathe with their inherent respiratory weakness.

Hope that helps

Kilby