Quote:
its so hard--I dont have crossed beakers..like I said ..just a crooked beak girl but she is 1 1/2 yrs old now and does really well...
chick born with one eye and cross beak
- Thread starter chkinut
- Start date
I have a bantam cochin cross rooster with a pretty bad crossed beak. I got him as a chick in a batch I ordered from a local farm.
The only special treatment he got as a chick was daily feedings out of a deep dish while I fed the other animals morning and night. At that point I didnt have time to handfeed and couldnt bring him in the house so it was pretty much up to him to figure it out.
He lives with my bantam flock unless its breeding season because he does breed the hens and I dont want his crossed beak passed down. He eats with everyone else, forages and is pretty much a normal chicken. He even crows although it sounds pretty funny.
I will try to get a picture later today.
The only special treatment he got as a chick was daily feedings out of a deep dish while I fed the other animals morning and night. At that point I didnt have time to handfeed and couldnt bring him in the house so it was pretty much up to him to figure it out.
He lives with my bantam flock unless its breeding season because he does breed the hens and I dont want his crossed beak passed down. He eats with everyone else, forages and is pretty much a normal chicken. He even crows although it sounds pretty funny.
I will try to get a picture later today.
I will go take a photo of her for you to see. If I can find her that is - they're all out free ranging just now so I may have to wait till they've come back to the coop tonight...
- Thread starter
- #24
Quote:
its so hard--I dont have crossed beakers..like I said ..just a crooked beak girl but she is 1 1/2 yrs old now and does really well...
it's not a big deal for me....really.....if i have to help her, i'll do that...but i may just wait and see how she does on her own...to see if she can figure it out....i figure if i feed her, she may not have the desire to try.....i understand there are occasional deformities or what-have-you in life and in hatching....i feel like, if you hatch eggs, you just may very well come across something like this from time to time....i knew that before i even began hatching....it's a chance i was willing to take, and i don't regret it for a moment!! i would do it all again!!!
oh, and i would love to see pics from both of you guys (gypsy and bufforp) that would be great. everyone has been so great and such a support!!
it's not a big deal for me....really.....if i have to help her, i'll do that...but i may just wait and see how she does on her own...to see if she can figure it out....i figure if i feed her, she may not have the desire to try.....i understand there are occasional deformities or what-have-you in life and in hatching....i feel like, if you hatch eggs, you just may very well come across something like this from time to time....i knew that before i even began hatching....it's a chance i was willing to take, and i don't regret it for a moment!! i would do it all again!!!
oh, and i would love to see pics from both of you guys (gypsy and bufforp) that would be great. everyone has been so great and such a support!!
Zippy had a normal beak until she was 10 weeks old. I only had 5 chicks but yes they all ate and drank on their own. I think with one I had to dip her beak a few times. I hope your baby starts to eat on her own soon, even if it's just yougurt for a while.
What I started out doing with Zippy's treats, her favorites are watermelon and tomato, was cutting them into pieces about 3/4 of an inch long and about 1/4 inch wide and holding them in my hand at an angle where she could kind of pick them up after a few tries. Now that she's better at eating I cut up part of the watermelon I put out and she can deal with it. She can't peck anything apart - it has to be cut up.
What I started out doing with Zippy's treats, her favorites are watermelon and tomato, was cutting them into pieces about 3/4 of an inch long and about 1/4 inch wide and holding them in my hand at an angle where she could kind of pick them up after a few tries. Now that she's better at eating I cut up part of the watermelon I put out and she can deal with it. She can't peck anything apart - it has to be cut up.
- Thread starter
- #26
yeah, i do know that the yogurt worked pretty well lastnight! so maybe i'll just do that for now if i don't see her eating.
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LOL that he is
He's quite the character. He loves to give me kisses. He will rub his beak up and down my face and then catch his bottom beak on my lip and hold it. He's a great snuggler and has such a personality. What I love about special need birds is they really don't know they are any different. They were born that way (for the most part) so it is just the norm. They learn to adapt and fit in. It really has been a cool thing to watch with each of my birds. I have a spraddle leg hen Quincy (she's 3 now) who lives in the living room in a cage. She watches TV with my husband - especially loves football. She lets him know when she doesn't like a certain show
He complains about all my "special chickens" but he now insists that I call the her Lady Quince because she likes it
LOL that he is
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Bless you for trying with this little one!
I would just keep offering some of the softer foods as you can. I do have a crossbeak but it wasn't apparent until he was about 8 weeks old which was about 3 weeks ago. It is not very severe yet and I have been watching him or her and seems to be doing ok with eating so far. I do have a couple of deeper bowls out just to be sure.
I have had 2 spraddle legs that did not want to eat at first either and I just kept offering the moistened chick feed. I figured even a bite or 2 is better than none. I also added vitamins to it. My one took longer than the other but did finally pick up after a few days and ate much better. Soon, I didn't need to supplement at all.
I do have a blind girl in the house right now that is about 4 months old and I still offer her food throughout the day just to be sure she is getting enough. I do plan to eventually have her outside when the weather warms up a bit.
But my little crossbeak is doing ok so far with both eating and drinking but I am sure I will always have to keep an extra close eye on him or her. I do see him at the deeper bowls to eat and so far that is working. Good Luck and please keep us posted on how Clarabelle is doing. Love her name!
I would just keep offering some of the softer foods as you can. I do have a crossbeak but it wasn't apparent until he was about 8 weeks old which was about 3 weeks ago. It is not very severe yet and I have been watching him or her and seems to be doing ok with eating so far. I do have a couple of deeper bowls out just to be sure.
I have had 2 spraddle legs that did not want to eat at first either and I just kept offering the moistened chick feed. I figured even a bite or 2 is better than none. I also added vitamins to it. My one took longer than the other but did finally pick up after a few days and ate much better. Soon, I didn't need to supplement at all.
I do have a blind girl in the house right now that is about 4 months old and I still offer her food throughout the day just to be sure she is getting enough. I do plan to eventually have her outside when the weather warms up a bit.
But my little crossbeak is doing ok so far with both eating and drinking but I am sure I will always have to keep an extra close eye on him or her. I do see him at the deeper bowls to eat and so far that is working. Good Luck and please keep us posted on how Clarabelle is doing. Love her name!
Nope, that's the one thing I won't let mine do. I mean he can't really lol (he hasn't figured that one out yet) but I would never incubate any eggs from him. That just wouldn't be right.
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