Crook-beak Chick! She's our favorite!

[stinkerbell]

Any suggestions on how to make sure she makes it? I've read a lot about deeper dishes for food and water, but I'm afraid to put deep water out since everyone's only a week old still. She seems to be doing okay... she's very active and is actually the biggest of the 3 we have right now. We just REALLY like her. She's the friendliest little thing ever, but that poor little beak look a little more crooked every day.
I'll post a pic if I can figure it out.

Thanks!

Owner of 1 EE, 1BA, 1SS, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 guineas, 1 tortoise, 2 frogs... and 4 pet-loving kids.

 

[Skittlez]

I had a polish with crooked beak. She ate and drank ok untill she was about 6 months old. She started loosing weight even with mashed food. Her beak looked like a big X and we could no longer get proper food in her. We lost her shortly after she turned 6 months. I have read on here some people have had good success in raising cross beak chicks. I think it depends on how severe the cross beak is and when it stops changing. I would moniter her food intake and make sure she is gaining weight. I hope she makes it.




P.S I Love your user name. It made me giggle.

 

[stinkerbell]

Sorry, totally inept at picture posting.

 

[stinkerbell]

Thanks for the help. I guess we'll stick with the wait, pray and see plan.
Stinkerbell is my oldest daughter's nickname (she's not currently as fond of it as I am, but I'm the one that signed up!). Technically, they're her chickens.

 

[chickerdoodle]

My BLRW has a horrible cross beak--it doesn't even meet well at all. It didn't start to develop until about 4 weeks of age and worsened as she grew. Actually its her jaw alignment that is off which is more likely the problem with most cross beaks.

She did take longer to eat than the others--soon taking a considerable time longer and I worried about her getting a full crop although she was growing well. I knew a deeper trough would be easier for her to try and scoop her food. I did not like the ubiquitous metal trough as it is too sharp for my purposes (I sometimes go overboard in the safety department) but it also is not deep enough or wide enough for this purpose. I also wanted a feeder all the girls can use so they can eat socially.

After much research I found a great trough:
http://www.strombergschickens.com/product/dura-feeder/trough-and-wall-mounted

Its the 19" Dura Feeder and its great! She ate better but I still think she took too long to eat so I decided to take the organic mash I feed them and add water to it once a day for their breakfast. I made it so it was wet but not too watery--just a little sticky so she could get more in one bite than she could the dry feed. I put the wet mash in a bowl about 4" deep and about 7" diameter so more than one girl could eat at a time. Although she spends more time at the bowl than the others it works great for her and she gets a big, full crop every day!!

I sometimes add a little yogurt or mealworms or other nutritional goodie to the mash for fun. The wet mash also makes it so they get all the more powdery vitamins and minerals in the mix.

I hand feed her fresh greens as she cannot pick off pieces of grass herself. Our run is sand so she can grab some goodies off the sand as its soft and she can push into it so I give her grains that way for a treat later in the day too.

As for the waterer I have the 3 gallon plastic Little Giant because its a little deeper and wider for her and also have the black soft rubber feeder pans like these:
http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-6976
which they all seem to prefer!

I have her beak trimmed a little and filed every 6 months so far which makes it a tiny bit better but no magic bullet.

Hyacinth is not only the biggest hen but top of the pecking order and lays 5-6 eggs a week--when she is not broody which she is right now, LOL.

These birds would not make it in the real world but Hyacinth is such a hoot I'd hate to not have her. There are cases though that they do not do well no matter what you do. so you can only do your best.

 

[stinkerbell]

That is wonderful help!! Thanks so much! Here's an image (hopefully) of Stinkerbell and Ewok (the chick):