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

[suzyQlou]

So sorry to hear of the losses

robinwiththechickens - Nothing has kept me humble like having my chickens die. I lost my first to a dog, too. It stinks! We all try to protect them the best we can, but nature doesn't always cooperate. I hope the farmer in you comes back strong!

Missi - It's such a tough call to do what's best for your flock. I love your image of the "meadows of Heaven". A better place.

 

[kukupecpec]

Aright guys I'm back. I was on here showing you a chick that has a crossbeak but has been doing just fine on her own but today when I let the babies out to free range I noticed her crop looked funny. It's really soft and super bulge-y. What could this be??

She is chest up in these pictures, she just has her head turned around. She also has a bald spot over her crop.
The pictures really aren't that great but it is sticking WAY out. Much further than any of the other girls.

 

[NewToFarming]

Does her crop feel like a water balloon or does her her crop feel very hard?

 

[kukupecpec]

It feels like a water balloon. Definitely not hard. That was a coupe days ago though, her crop feels the same but she is ok at the moment. She does come running after me when im in the yard, but that could just be her personality

 

[coloradogal]

Aright guys I'm back. I was on here showing you a chick that has a crossbeak but has been doing just fine on her own but today when I let the babies out to free range I noticed her crop looked funny. It's really soft and super bulge-y. What could this be??

She is chest up in these pictures, she just has her head turned around. She also has a bald spot over her crop.
The pictures really aren't that great but it is sticking WAY out. Much further than any of the other girls.

It's normal at her age. She just overate. As she gets more feathers, they will cover her big meals. With mine, I know I'm overfeeding them when I see most of them like that. Then I'll take the food away and let it empty.

She's beautiful.

 

[coloradogal]

Edit: Wrong forum so removed.

 

[kukupecpec]

Oh good!!! I was so worried! There are so many of them in the grow out pen that they go through a whole feeder every day and will eat more if I refill it in the afternoon. 6 of 13 are off to new homes tomorrow though so maybe that will help.
Is there anything crop-wise I should look out for? Especially because she is a cross beak? She seems fine now, but her beak is already SUPER twisted at only 5 weeks, I doubt she will be able to eat on her own forever. DH has already approved making her a diaper and bringing her inside with the seramas and the goose.
She is already my favorite of the big birds though! She runs right up to me and follows me around as long as I'm not near the full grown birds area - they chase her.
I have NO ide what she is though, she was one of 3 chicks I bought from Ace Hardware as a buddy for a lone hatchling I had just hatched out and seemed perfectly normal at the time but they had no idea what breeds they had lol. She looks gold laced though. I think she's absolutely gorgeous =) Thanks coloradogal!

 

[coloradogal]

Oh good!!! I was so worried! There are so many of them in the grow out pen that they go through a whole feeder every day and will eat more if I refill it in the afternoon. 6 of 13 are off to new homes tomorrow though so maybe that will help.
Is there anything crop-wise I should look out for? Especially because she is a cross beak? She seems fine now, but her beak is already SUPER twisted at only 5 weeks, I doubt she will be able to eat on her own forever. DH has already approved making her a diaper and bringing her inside with the seramas and the goose.
She is already my favorite of the big birds though! She runs right up to me and follows me around as long as I'm not near the full grown birds area - they chase her.
I have NO ide what she is though, she was one of 3 chicks I bought from Ace Hardware as a buddy for a lone hatchling I had just hatched out and seemed perfectly normal at the time but they had no idea what breeds they had lol. She looks gold laced though. I think she's absolutely gorgeous =) Thanks coloradogal!

Just keep her beak trimmed with disinfected nail clippers. It will not hurt her unless you get too close then just put some flour on it. It's like a nail to us...doesn't hurt unless you get too close. If her crop is too full, that's a good sign. Just make sure she continues to eat.

 

[NewToFarming]

It feels like a water balloon. Definitely not hard. That was a coupe days ago though, her crop feels the same but she is ok at the moment. She does come running after me when im in the yard, but that could just be her personality

If her crop doesn't feel normal by the mornings then she could have a sour crop. You do need to treat her for it if that is what you think it is. But check if her crop is normal in the mornings before starting to eat. If it is then she is just gorging herself but if it still feels like a water balloon in the mornings, then she has sour crop.

 

[707jensen]

Hello!
We have an 11 week old cross beak Polish chick that I would love some advice on!!
She is about half the size of the other chicks but is a very 'plucky' little girl! She does all the regular chicken things.....as far as we can tell! She does spend a lot of her time searching for food but seems/ seemed happy. This is the first time my husband and I have had chickens, so we have a lot to learn!
Then, Sunday, we noticed several of our birds had blood on them, then, we noticed that she had been attacked and was bleeding (dripping blood) from her belly, on the left side.
We immediately removed her, setting up the brooder box again with the heat lamp, food and water and doubted she would make it through the night. Well, that was 3 nights ago! On day 2, she flew out of the brooder box (trough) on her own multiple times. So, yesterday, we secured a wire enclosure in the barn and put her in there.
I have been scrambling her an egg twice a day and she eats lots (or works a lot?) at her food bowl.
If all this wasn't enough, when we were trying to get her in the new enclosure, she hooked her beak on the wire and seemed to break the hook off on the top, which bled a little.
We are affraid to put her back with the other 23 hens, thinking that they will really kill her next time.

What advice do ya'll have for us? Should I move the heat lamp to her new enclosure? Should I find a chick that's a few weeks old and put with her for company? Would you trim her beak or leave it alone?

Thank you for any advice you have!!!
Laura


Just figured out how to get a pic from my phone to here.....here's a pic.........