A good formula for weight gain in baby chicks (mine is 4 weeks old) crossbeak

[Debndel]

I feed her chick feed mixed in water through a syringe. I feed her about 5 times a day and she isn't gaining weight. Is there any other formula that could help her gain weight?

 

[nuthatched]

Add som egg yolk to chick feed. How bad is her crossbeak? If shes only 5 weeks and his this much trouble, it will get worse as she grows and will make everything harder.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I feed her chick feed mixed in water through a syringe. I feed her about 5 times a day and she isn't gaining weight. Is there any other formula that could help her gain weight?

Welcome to BYC!

Can you post pics of how cross beaked she is?

What % protein is your starter feed?

Are you in the US? Have you got an actual weight on her, or an actual amount of feed being given? It has to increase at least weekly for her size to increase.

Have you tried making the feed real moist like a mash and placing in a deep dish where she can learn to shovel it?

Is she with other chicks still.. up, running around, and active?

I agree adding egg yolk would be top choice for increasing calories.. I'd go with boiled and smashed into the other mixture. And I also agree that these things get worse with age, in my experience.

If you can't get enough nutrients and energy in through syringe.. then tube feeding might be an option.

She also won't be able to preen feather sheaths off or spread preen oil.. so may otherwise need help with grooming.. if you guys end up in it for the long haul.

 

[Debndel]

Add som egg yolk to chick feed. How bad is her crossbeak? If shes only 5 weeks and his this much trouble, it will get worse as she grows and will make everything harder.

Her cross is pretty bad. She gets around pretty well, and is pretty loud, but can't eat without help. I just started with mashed watered down cooked egg yolk today. I mixed a little vit B complex powder in the egg mixture.

 

[Debndel]

Welcome to BYC!

Can you post pics of how cross beaked she is?

What % protein is your starter feed?

Are you in the US? Have you got an actual weight on her, or an actual amount of feed being given? It has to increase at least weekly for her size to increase.

Have you tried making the feed real moist like a mash and placing in a deep dish where she can learn to shovel it?

Is she with other chicks still.. up, running around, and active?

I agree adding egg yolk would be top choice for increasing calories.. I'd go with boiled and smashed into the other mixture. And I also agree that these things get worse with age, in my experience.

If you can't get enough nutrients and energy in through syringe.. then tube feeding might be an option.

She also won't be able to preen feather sheaths off or spread preen oil.. so may otherwise need help with grooming.. if you guys end up in it for the long haul.

Welcome to BYC!

Can you post pics of how cross beaked she is?

What % protein is your starter feed?

Are you in the US? Have you got an actual weight on her, or an actual amount of feed being given? It has to increase at least weekly for her size to increase.

Have you tried making the feed real moist like a mash and placing in a deep dish where she can learn to shovel it?

Is she with other chicks still.. up, running around, and active?

I agree adding egg yolk would be top choice for increasing calories.. I'd go with boiled and smashed into the other mixture. And I also agree that these things get worse with age, in my experience.

If you can't get enough nutrients and energy in through syringe.. then tube feeding might be an option.

She also won't be able to preen feather sheaths off or spread preen oil.. so may otherwise need help with grooming.. if you guys end up in it for the long haul.

Feed is 18% protien. I just started adding cooked egg yolk mixed with a litte vit b complex today. she is active, loud and hangs with the other 7 chicks which are over twice her size. Seems like I am feeding her all day. I want to get her a little stronger if possible and use a dremel on her beak to try and pare it down some to see if she can eat on her own out of a deeper small dish.

 

[Debndel]

She only weighs 141 grams. The other chicks weigh 250 grams. They are 4 weeks old. I live in WA state. I feed her mash from chick starter and just started cooked egg yolk. My syringe is a small 1ml. She eats about 12 full syringes of feed a day approximately. About 10ml a day of diluted egg yolk with a little vit b complex mixed in.