Chick with cross beak *pics*

[rhetoric]

One of our brahmas has a major league crossed beak. At about 4 weeks she (Madam Mao) is a third smaller than the other bird and clearly struggling to eat -- mashes her head in the food and barely get's anything. Sigh.

 

[dlhunicorn]

The cross beaks often recquire help in eating and I would suggest you concentrate this birds nutrition to help it get back on track if you choose to keep it...add baby parrot formula to its feed.

 

[normajean]

I agree. My crossed beaks (2) both get high quality soft mash with vitamins/electrolytes and probiotics in the water.
They are normal weight and are my best friends at feeding time and love to sleep in my lap after eating

Take care and best of luck,
nj

 

[courtnicole2010]

i got my chick from the school i go to.
it was something that an anatomy class did.

 

[Dotty]

I purchased my chicks from a local retailer (who says her supplier is in TX, btw.) We have one 9 wk old Mille Fleur with a severe cross beak - no amount of trimming or filing will help at this point, I'm afraid.

He's incredibly sweet, and none of the others pick on him (yet,) so we're just taking it day by day. He sticks his head deep into the feed too, and although he seems to eat quite a bit he still looks small to me. I'll try the baby parrot formula, thanks for the suggestion dlhunicorn.

 

[cocosandy]

I have a houdan that is one of only two surviving from an order of 27 polish and houdans from McMurray. She is half the size of the normal one and has an increasingly bad crossed beak. I have her in a tank oin the house now and have given her parrot formula and nestling food...and she is pecking around. I just dont see that much is getting in her so I may try to feed it direct and trim her beak.
Be sure to ask McMurray about their new shipping policies. Im hearing more and more about dead chicks and its going to get worse as summer comes on.
Ive heard people complain outright about McMurray's stock being inbred, and I dont know about that...but I do know that this is my first and last chick order from them and that these two chicks were strong enough to make it for 4 days in priority mail, so this little guy deserves a chance. Hatched on Thursday, shipped on saturday via priority mail, and arrived 98% dead and dying on Tuesday via priority mail....pretty great huh?
I will try the vitamins and a little banding if it doesnt hur the little thing too much; right now Im working on nutrition.

 

[petrelline]

I have a Buckeye with a severe crossbeak that came from Ideal. I've had a lot of problems with this entire batch, from weak chicks to deformed chicks to chicks dying of mystery diseases no one can identify to the whole batch being small and slow (and very untrue to type). I'm not a happy camper.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I have a BLRW who had a perfect beak at day one and slowly started crossing and ended up looking like this: Read on below the picture

She eats and drinks just fine and is now just starting to lay eggs

She's VERY happy and runs around with the other hens and she in fact is THE boss of the crowd so it didn't effect her at all. I was scared back when it started getting worse that I would have to cull her but she did great. I do have to clip it now and then when it grows out because she can't sharpen it correctly on her own. Doesn't hurt her at all though. Oh and i do not have to supplement any food...she just eats what everyone else is eating (crumble layer food) and drinks water on her own just fine. Never had to do anything different then I had to with the regular hens. Oh and BTW this was beak trimming day...I never let her get any longer then this.

 

[jessica117]

Congrats on the success! She is beautiful, cross beak and all

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Quote:
I have one that came from McMurray as well, plus one with a twisted neck