Diary of a Crossbeak: Support for Special Needs Chickens and their Keepers

[artsyrobin]

I just cut chuck's beak back a little too far and made her bleed. Thank goodness that (a) I didn't cut all the way, so it's not gushing and should close up and (b) I had styptic powder on hand, nearby, and opened.
Lesson learned: if it seems to be causing her discomfort, it probably is, and I should stop.

Taking a deep breath. I don't like hurting my girls!

i use flour when that happens, on one of my girls, i have to be real careful wrap her in a towel and hold her head still covering her eyes- she will jerk just at the right moment otherwise

 

[estamets]

i use flour when that happens, on one of my girls, i have to be real careful wrap her in a towel and hold her head still covering her eyes- she will jerk just at the right moment otherwise

Flour is a good idea, too! I wonder if corn starch might work as well... It would absorb the moisture.
I came to this thread because I know this has to be something that's happened to others. It makes me feel a little less guilty.
She's totally fine now, I can't even see where she bled. Just a little nick in her beak. I'll wait a while for the quick to recede before I try again, I just don't want the top beak to grow too long.

 

[artsyrobin]

we have a facebook group for crossbeaks too, they are such sweet birds, challenging at times- one of mine hates having her beak messed with so unless she is having problems i let it alone




crossbeak group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/587948771309216/

 

[brittfish]

My cross beak ameraucana Cinnamon must've gotten her beak stuck on something yesterday. It has quite a hook on it.. well had.we bring her indoors in the morning and at night to eat her mash and last night she didn't want to eat and only wanted to cuddle. We inspected her and noticed the top covering part of her beak had broke off. We kept her indoors last night and this morning she was acting a little better but wouldn't eat. On my lunch break she seems a little interested in food but won't eat. I'm sure it's very painful but I'm worried about her not eating especially with the cold weather. Not sure what we can do for her. I work at a vet hospital for dogs and cats so I'm going to bring home a syringe and tube but not sure we can actually get the tube into her with how deformed her beak is. If anyone has any ideas that would be wonderful, I was going to post a new thread but don't know how. We love her and want to do anything we can. Was considering liquid bandage to help as it seems so tender but worry about infection.

 

[estamets]

My cross beak ameraucana Cinnamon must've gotten her beak stuck on something yesterday. It has quite a hook on it.. well had.we bring her indoors in the morning and at night to eat her mash and last night she didn't want to eat and only wanted to cuddle. We inspected her and noticed the top covering part of her beak had broke off. We kept her indoors last night and this morning she was acting a little better but wouldn't eat. On my lunch break she seems a little interested in food but won't eat. I'm sure it's very painful but I'm worried about her not eating especially with the cold weather. Not sure what we can do for her. I work at a vet hospital for dogs and cats so I'm going to bring home a syringe and tube but not sure we can actually get the tube into her with how deformed her beak is. If anyone has any ideas that would be wonderful, I was going to post a new thread but don't know how. We love her and want to do anything we can. Was considering liquid bandage to help as it seems so tender but worry about infection.

Can you reattach the loose part with superglue, or splint/bandage it with superglue and a tea bag?

 

[estamets]

My cross beak ameraucana Cinnamon must've gotten her beak stuck on something yesterday. It has quite a hook on it.. well had.we bring her indoors in the morning and at night to eat her mash and last night she didn't want to eat and only wanted to cuddle. We inspected her and noticed the top covering part of her beak had broke off. We kept her indoors last night and this morning she was acting a little better but wouldn't eat. On my lunch break she seems a little interested in food but won't eat. I'm sure it's very painful but I'm worried about her not eating especially with the cold weather. Not sure what we can do for her. I work at a vet hospital for dogs and cats so I'm going to bring home a syringe and tube but not sure we can actually get the tube into her with how deformed her beak is. If anyone has any ideas that would be wonderful, I was going to post a new thread but don't know how. We love her and want to do anything we can. Was considering liquid bandage to help as it seems so tender but worry about infection.

Btw, tube feeding is simple; there are several good threads here about it. But she will be fine for up to 3 days without food, so you may want to wait and allow her to rest and heal for a few days.

 

[brittfish]

Btw, tube feeding is simple; there are several good threads here about it. But she will be fine for up to 3 days without food, so you may want to wait and allow her to rest and heal for a few days.

We can't repair her beak as it came right off we didn't realize at first that's what happened and haven't nothing to glue back on it :-( I brought a tube and syringe home from work and we gave her 2 ounces of pedialyte last night (1 ounce this morning) and she seems a whole lot better this morning. I'm impressed with how well she handled the tube, fought a little more today. She is more interested in food but still won't go for it, she got used to her beak scooping the food I think and now it's shorter so she will have to relearn. I may try bringing her to a vet that treats chickens. The tube I grabbed is too small will get a different one tonight and maybe wait until tomorrow to start tube feeding. At least I'm on vacation for the next 9 days and can take care of her. I'm sad she can't go out with the flock but it's just too cold for her with no food in her belly I think. Thanks for your input

 

[estamets]

We can't repair her beak as it came right off we didn't realize at first that's what happened and haven't nothing to glue back on it :-( I brought a tube and syringe home from work and we gave her 2 ounces of pedialyte last night (1 ounce this morning) and she seems a whole lot better this morning. I'm impressed with how well she handled the tube, fought a little more today. She is more interested in food but still won't go for it, she got used to her beak scooping the food I think and now it's shorter so she will have to relearn. I may try bringing her to a vet that treats chickens. The tube I grabbed is too small will get a different one tonight and maybe wait until tomorrow to start tube feeding. At least I'm on vacation for the next 9 days and can take care of her. I'm sad she can't go out with the flock but it's just too cold for her with no food in her belly I think. Thanks for your input

You'll want an 18fr tube for food. Good job getting fluids into her! I wonder if there is anything you could glue on the beak that would at least protect the sensitive quick...

 

[brittfish]

Brought Cinnamon to the vet (see recent previous posts). Nothing he could suggest for repair just antibiotic ointment and time. My concern is that she tries to eat (hasn't had food since Wednesday morning) and because her beak is much shorter now and doesn't have a hook on the end like a spoon like it used to she gives up after a couple tries. She is used to giving up with food that she can't get into her mouth as she can't pick up food but will she figure it out that she needs to change her way of eating a little bit now? I'm worried if we tube feed her she will not figure it out. We are giving her pedialyte with a tube because we know she can't go without liquids as well as food. One part of me thinks we should tube feed her for a few days so she can heal up more but the other part thinks that her beak doesn't seem overly sensitive now after 2 days and if we start tube feeding her she won't have enough motivation to change her technique. We don't know what to do and it's killing us. We love her and want her to be okay. Any ideas??

 

[estamets]

Brought Cinnamon to the vet (see recent previous posts). Nothing he could suggest for repair just antibiotic ointment and time. My concern is that she tries to eat (hasn't had food since Wednesday morning) and because her beak is much shorter now and doesn't have a hook on the end like a spoon like it used to she gives up after a couple tries. She is used to giving up with food that she can't get into her mouth as she can't pick up food but will she figure it out that she needs to change her way of eating a little bit now? I'm worried if we tube feed her she will not figure it out. We are giving her pedialyte with a tube because we know she can't go without liquids as well as food. One part of me thinks we should tube feed her for a few days so she can heal up more but the other part thinks that her beak doesn't seem overly sensitive now after 2 days and if we start tube feeding her she won't have enough motivation to change her technique. We don't know what to do and it's killing us. We love her and want her to be okay. Any ideas??

Wait it out, and tube feed her if she loses more than 10% of her body weight.