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

[artsyrobin]

I'm only planning on trimming often while she's young, in hopes it helps keep it a bit under control better while she's growing. Once she's mature I won't unless she's having a bit of eating troubles.

sounds good, be careful of the veins too, just little bits at a time

 

[Cynthia 085]

Hi guys
I think my roo just had a seizure...not good. Are seizures common in crossbeaks?
This really sucks...

 

[Skink]

I've got a little cross-beaked serama who didn't start showing hers until she was a little over a month old. It is very obvious now. I've been keeping her trimmed up, and when trimmed properly, they almost properly align. I accidentally trimmed a bit too far and she bled tonight, though.. talk about stressful! The bleeding is stopped now. I try my absolute best to be careful, but she's very tiny.

She has for the most part kept up with her siblings, but seems to have lost a little weight, even though I see her eating she's always last to the bowl. She's not as heavy in the hand, and while not sickly weak, she's still bottom of the pecking order. I just switched them on to fermented naturally free chick starter from scratch and peck. They sometimes get mealworms and flax seed as treats, I do see her manage to eat them.

Does anyone have any suggestions? They are fed an amount as deep as her beak is long every day. She is never interested in food if she's away from her siblings, so removing her and feeding her separate isn't an option. I am thinking perhaps building a see through divider for their pen and leaving her in there with her own serving of food so there's not much else to do but eat and no competition to stop her. Or perhaps there is something I should give to her directly? It is also hard to syringe feed her because of her tiny size, but I've done it before to give her vitamins. I also have another chicken who is recovering from a vitamin B2 deficiency, she is just about ready to move out of her hospital kennel but I don't think I want to put her back in with her siblings.. her brother just figured out what breeding is and has been pestering all the ladies. I don't fancy her being bothered while she's still gaining weight. I am thinking perhaps I should pen these two up together, since they're both prone to loneliness, both quiet and cuddly, and both in need of putting on weight.

Here's my lil crossbeak when it first started to show:

 

[artsyrobin]

I've got a little cross-beaked serama who didn't start showing hers until she was a little over a month old. It is very obvious now. I've been keeping her trimmed up, and when trimmed properly, they almost properly align. I accidentally trimmed a bit too far and she bled tonight, though.. talk about stressful! The bleeding is stopped now. I try my absolute best to be careful, but she's very tiny.

She has for the most part kept up with her siblings, but seems to have lost a little weight, even though I see her eating she's always last to the bowl. She's not as heavy in the hand, and while not sickly weak, she's still bottom of the pecking order. I just switched them on to fermented naturally free chick starter from scratch and peck. They sometimes get mealworms and flax seed as treats, I do see her manage to eat them.

Does anyone have any suggestions? They are fed an amount as deep as her beak is long every day. She is never interested in food if she's away from her siblings, so removing her and feeding her separate isn't an option. I am thinking perhaps building a see through divider for their pen and leaving her in there with her own serving of food so there's not much else to do but eat and no competition to stop her. Or perhaps there is something I should give to her directly? It is also hard to syringe feed her because of her tiny size, but I've done it before to give her vitamins. I also have another chicken who is recovering from a vitamin B2 deficiency, she is just about ready to move out of her hospital kennel but I don't think I want to put her back in with her siblings.. her brother just figured out what breeding is and has been pestering all the ladies. I don't fancy her being bothered while she's still gaining weight. I am thinking perhaps I should pen these two up together, since they're both prone to loneliness, both quiet and cuddly, and both in need of putting on weight.

Here's my lil crossbeak when it first started to show:

i think putting the two together might be a good thing, also you can add cornmeal and oatmeal to their food to bump up the calories, grind some dry mealies and add that too- as far as trimming the beak, i only do that if they are having eating issues, and then with a file, since i did snip too close to my boy Jojo's beak- he's my avatar- on giving vitamins, i either put it in the water or drops on the beak, rather than risking anything by syringe, that can be risky

 

[Skink]

I am trying to keep corn from being a big part of their diet, so I will try adding oatmeal and mealworms blended in! Thank you

As for beak trimming, I'm unwilling to just let her beak grow if I can do something about it. It has stopped worsening since I started trimming, a spot of blood now can save her a whole lot of misery later if that is the case. I'll just leave more to filing from now on, I think.

Nutridrench is pretty strong flavored and smelling stuff, I'd dropper it to them if I could but she won't even drink water with that in it. She shakes her head and flings it everywhere. I take the time to ID the glottis when she's being fussy, it just takes a lot of time... it is a stressful process for her.

My little hospital kennel gal has been up and about for days, I think I'll introduce them in the next day or two!

 

[brittfish]

Hi, one of the Easter Egger chicks I got this Spring has turned out to be a cross beak. In researching the topic, I came across the name Freaky Beaky here on BYC and got a kick out of it so that's what I named her She's keeping up in size with the others, seems to be eating/drinking okay so far. Once I realized she was a crossbeak I immediately starting wetting their food and switched to a deep bowl. I've trimmed the "hook" on her top beak twice already, she's about 7-8 wks old now. My question is what's the best tool to snip that hook off? I've used nail clippers the past two times, but I know as she grows that isn't going to continue working. I'm not comfortable using a dremel on her.

My cross beak will turn 1 next month and I use regular people nail trimmers. Well the big ones so toenail trimmers I guess. Ive been meaning to look for straight ones but for now the crescent shaped ones have been doing fine. Her bottom beak is pretty much as far to the right as it'll go. I haven't done anything with that one as she's super sensitive but the top beak is real curved but she uses it like a scoop just sometimes it gets too long. Luckily the tip of her beak is almost clear so I can see where the blood vessel begins and so far haven't made her bleed. I just do a little at a time and she does okay with it. Probably do it every 4-6 weeks.

 

[brittfish]

yep i do- ginger particularly needs a couple baths a week, if the fermented feed does dry, i have to use pliers to squish it to break it off, its like cement

i use dawn or baby shampoo and put her in the tub- she hates baths, but i found the best thing for her is the sprayer held close under her chin, she doesn't fight that as bad, and i also monitor her vent for build up since she can't preen well

Okay cool and just air dry? We clean her every night by pretty much soaking her bib area and brushing the food out but she definitely needs a good bath.I'm sure she'll hate it she's such a spoiled princess bird but gotta do what we gotta do! Thanks!

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote:
i use a blow dryer on ginger, once the summer heat kicks in i don't think that will be necessary- i also check for mites regularly since she can't preen well

 

[Ciqala]

My cross beak will turn 1 next month and I use regular people nail trimmers. Well the big ones so toenail trimmers I guess. Ive been meaning to look for straight ones but for now the crescent shaped ones have been doing fine. Her bottom beak is pretty much as far to the right as it'll go. I haven't done anything with that one as she's super sensitive but the top beak is real curved but she uses it like a scoop just sometimes it gets too long. Luckily the tip of her beak is almost clear so I can see where the blood vessel begins and so far haven't made her bleed. I just do a little at a time and she does okay with it. Probably do it every 4-6 weeks.

My little one is about 6 and a half weeks old. Her top beak tip isn't dark, so you're right it makes things much easier. I haven't made mine bleed yet either, hopefully never do, but I always have the kwik stop right on hand just in case. I'll probably never touch her bottom beak.

 

[ackp]

Hello my little buckle her beaks are straight but top beak is longer and curves (which we try to keep files down) and bottom beak is much smaller in length then the top beak. You said you feed your bird by feeding tube. How do you do this and how often do you do this

Kathy