Hi
I have two cross beaks. They are both less than a year old, but have adapted. I created a special feeder for them so they can really dig their beaks in and get food. The older one is very small and light for her age, but she is full of life. I have a rubbermaid container which has a couple inches of feed in the bottom and she has a ball trying to eat in it (she comes out after an hour with a good sized crop). I check her crop just about every day to make sure there is food in there.
She's developed a method of eating by putting her head almost upside down into the feed. The younger cross-beak does okay, I just have to keep the rooster away so she can eat undisturbed.
I also make up a mix of crumbles, water and electrolytes for the two cross-beaks to eat.
They love yogurt, and because it sticks to their beaks, they can eat it pretty easily.
I did trim their beaks with really good scissors, carefully so as not to crack the beak. If you can have someone help so you can hold the beak and the hen while you are trimming, it is more secure. I trim only when the top beak curls down, blocking their access to food, or the bottom beak sticks out and gets caught on the feeder.
Be carefull! they are like dog nails. If you cut too far back, the beak will bleed. You have to progressively trim the beak back so they can eat better.
The first time, I was at a loss of how to trim a beak, so I brought my girl to a bird groomer. The groomer used a dremel tool with a grinder on the end and just ground the end of the beak. She couldn't do much though, because the beak was so crooked and it bled almost right away.
I don't think my little hen appreciated the vibration from the dremel, either.
