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

[LadiesAndJane]

Hi, just found this thread! I have a little cross-beaked, one eyed orpington chick that hatched this morning. I cracked her out of the shell as I could hear her peeping after internal pipping 26 before. There was no way she could have gotten out of the shell on her own. She was unable to make a hole in the shell due to the beak.
Anyway, now she is here and I have to take care of her the best I can. I gave her some eggyolk mixed with a little water with a syringe, just placed drops at a time on her lower beak, she seemed to manage this ok. I was planning to do this every 2 hours or so (letting her sleep at night). Should I try to see if she can eat some ground chick crumbles mixed with water or just do the egg yolk and water for the first few days?
She has 2 "normal" siblings, I am afraid they will bully her, so she is by herself for now under heat, but I did try putting her with my very sweet 5 week old silkie chick, who let her snuggle up with her and did not peck her.
I was told she may be brain damaged as well, as the side of her head where the eye should be looks a little squished.
Anything else I should be doing for this little one?
Thanks for any advice out there!

 

[SharknOtter]

So thankful for this thread! This year is not my first for raising chicks, but it’s my first time with a special needs chick. I’ve raised chicks for my in-laws and for my Mom, and finally got my own chicks! After bringing them home from the feed store, I noticed that my little Ameracauna has a crossed beak. I got them August 3 (3 weeks ago), and I was really worried about her, and considered putting her down, but so far she’s doing great! Her name is Millie, and she definitely has personality! She tries so so hard to catch bugs and scratch like all the other chicks do! Ive been letting her have an extra couple minutes to peck at the suet block, and I’m definitely going to make sure she gets spoiled.

 

[artsyrobin]

not

So thankful for this thread! This year is not my first for raising chicks, but it’s my first time with a special needs chick. I’ve raised chicks for my in-laws and for my Mom, and finally got my own chicks! After bringing them home from the feed store, I noticed that my little Ameracauna has a crossed beak. I got them August 3 (3 weeks ago), and I was really worried about her, and considered putting her down, but so far she’s doing great! Her name is Millie, and she definitely has personality! She tries so so hard to catch bugs and scratch like all the other chicks do! Ive been letting her have an extra couple minutes to peck at the suet block, and I’m definitely going to make sure she gets spoiled. View attachment 2300845View attachment 2300846View attachment 2300847

not real severe yet, it will continue to shift till about 5 months, so deep dishes of food will help, sometimes mash is easier for her to eat. Check her crop that she is filling it a couple times a day. If you need help message me. My oldest is ginger, now 8 years old, and still laying.

 

[Yolke]

Just got my first crossbeak about five weeks ago, a day-old chick through the mail. I've read through as much of this VERY HELPFUL thread as time allowed, and have seen a few mentions of fermented feed. This is what I'm feeding mine, mixed with raw egg, through a syringe dropped on her lower beak. Fermenting seems to break up the grains so they go through the syringe, and the eggs holds it all together in a string she can eat.

Wanted to share a picture of her at day 1, now called Applesauce... and now, because while I read a few times that it would get worse, I think it's helpful to see a then and now of HOW much worse it will get. I think mine stopped gaining weight on her own about the end of week 2, even though we were offering as much scrambled egg as she could take in. Deep dish.

She thinks she's adorable, and I do, too! (Needless to say she's on the left, a bantam EE) But would trimming help her? I assumed that since her beak doesn't ever meet all the way down, it wouldn't do much.

 

[artsyrobin]

Just got my first crossbeak about five weeks ago, a day-old chick through the mail. I've read through as much of this VERY HELPFUL thread as time allowed, and have seen a few mentions of fermented feed. This is what I'm feeding mine, mixed with raw egg, through a syringe dropped on her lower beak. Fermenting seems to break up the grains so they go through the syringe, and the eggs holds it all together in a string she can eat.

Wanted to share a picture of her at day 1, now called Applesauce... and now, because while I read a few times that it would get worse, I think it's helpful to see a then and now of HOW much worse it will get. I think mine stopped gaining weight on her own about the end of week 2, even though we were offering as much scrambled egg as she could take in. Deep dish.

She thinks she's adorable, and I do, too! (Needless to say she's on the left, a bantam EE) But would trimming help her? I assumed that since her beak doesn't ever meet all the way down, it wouldn't do much.

I run a crossbeak group on Facebook of you are interested, pm me. No I don't recommend trimming until later, only if it is inhibiting eating. Deep dishes seem to be the best feeding option. The crossbeak is a skull deformity, set before hatch, so you help them by adjusting feed style. You can add Kaytee baby bird food to wet mash, one of mine loves peanutbutter and mashed potatoes added to it.

 

[Yolke]

Thank you! I don't use facebook very often, but will look next time I'm there.

 

[Lovem all]

This is such a cool place, so glad I found it. Also anyone with a blind or half blind bird let me know and I can @ you in the blind chickens thread. It's a great place to talk about our experience with it and help others who are unsure if they should even keep the bird because of how it's quality of life might be.

 

[Lovem all]

@Cla p 1 This is the thread I mentioned

 

[Lovem all]

@Cla p 1 This is the thread I mentioned

 

[Lovem all]

@Clap p 1 this is the thread i mentioned