3 month old with twisted beak-- having trouble eating

[outnumbered by birds]

I have a 3 month old Aracauna who has a twisted beak (the top goes to the left and the bottom to the right). She has been doing Okay until today, even though she is very thin. She pecks at the feeder constantly but never seems to get much in her mouth. I have watered down her feed to make a gruel and given her yogurt, milk, etc. but she still doesn't seem to eat enough. I tried putting a rubber band around her beak to re-train it, but she works it off. I have also had to trim her beak to keep it from curling. Today she is listless, very thin, and having runny poops. She has managed to get down a few tablespoons of food, but that is it. Any ideas?

 

[FabulousMandy]

have you considered making a gruel that's just thin enough to put in a big syringe, and instead of letting her eat on her own you could fill her crop up for her? It might not be practical as a permanent solution, but it'd give her a boost for now since she's obviously not eating enough on her own and is suffering. Poor dear, I always feel so sorry for the twisted beak babies

.

 

[ChooksChick]

I fed mine baby parrot food for the first 2 months using a syringe, and then I got a cup feeder that is supposed to attach to a parrot cage to put on the side of the coop, just for him. It's deep and small around, so I can dump about 1 1/2 cups of food in it, and then he knows where he can get food that's easy for him to manage.

He's the biggest of my 'teenagers' even though he's my special needs chicken.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

the chickn needs the beaks trimed to even points which is to the blood line
it then will have to have the feed deep as it glups the feed in and not pecing at it

also one lady told how she did the beak and fed it with a tube
if keeping the bird you will have to give it care constantly

pebblessix
Out Of The Brooder

From: Northeast Florida
Registered: 06/25/2008
Posts: 62
E-mail PM Re: EE with beak where top and bottom do not line up rightThe beak can be filed with an emery board rather than trimmed. I think this is easier to do. An emery board like a nail tech uses that is about 100 grit, (like sandpaper grit) works really well. If you can shorten the beak and then tape the mouth shut, properly lined up, for several weeks, you may be able to straighten the beak out. You will need first aid tape to tape the beak shut. You will have to hand feed, do not allow pecking at food and make sure you give plenty of water or electrolyte solution when the tape is off. It all has to be done with a large syringe or a crumble mixture can be fed with a narrow baby spoon. I mix crumbles with an electrolyte solution to make sure there are plenty of vitamins. I have also used baby cereal or cream of wheat because of a thinner consistency than the crumbles. Very time consuming, I know because I have done it. At first, it is really messy to spoon feed and water with a syringe, but the bird gets used to it.

It takes about an hour to feed a bird when you first start using this method. Once they are used to it, feeding can be finished in less than 30 minutes. When necessary, I feed this way 3 - 5 times per day, depending on the bird. This was what the vet told me to do for a cross beak and it worked. I also use this feeding method when I have a very sick bird that has lost interest in eating. It may seem extreme, but it will keep a sick bird from losing all of it's strength and they get an opportunity to recover. I have one cross beak silkie that we just keep her beak filed and she eats from a deep bowl. I did not know to tape her beak when she was a chick. Good Luck

email me any questions

 

[outnumbered by birds]

Thank you all,

She ate her first full meal in a long time. I was able to fill her crop with baby cereal via the syringe. The electrolyte solution was a great idea. She is resting comfortably and seems more perky...

So here I was in Walgreens buying baby cereal, pedialyte, a syringe, and baby bananas thinking I am a little old for this (my youngest is now 13yrs old). I don't have babies anymore! Oh yeah, I guess I do. I am just glad I didn't come up in conversation with the cashier. How do you explain that you cleaned out the baby isle for a chicken?

 

[shyshaie]

Glenda,

I know this is an old thread. But I read your reply about taping the beaks together for the twisted beaks and I was wondering how old is too old to do this? We have a 9 week old speckled sussex that has a twisted beak and I'm interested in trying this to help it straighten out. I first noticed the twist about 3-4 weeks ago.

Thanks!