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

[Panth]

I am loving the new ideas to add to Spaz's "mash". I hadn't thought to use peanut butter or canned cat food...I will be trying those next. Currently I use (I make it differently all the time) creamed corn, fruit yogurts, cottage cheese, milk, raw egg, corn meal, ground flax seed, whole grain flour, watermelon or other fruit juices. Any of these or combos of them mixed with chick starter and left pretty goey. I am surprised that so few people mentioned using egg in their mashes...egg yolk has all the vitamins that they need, so this is the main booster in my mash.

My cross beak sleeps in the brooder in the house with my bitty babies at night, gets breakfast in the morning and then I carry him out to the barn to spend the day free-range with the other "kids" his age (He is 8 weeks). Then when I get home from work, I carry him back in (or he follows me in) and gets his supper which he kindly shares with the 2 and 3 day olds.

 

[Nursiedeer]

I have a handicapped Cochin splash. She was given to us and has spradled legs. She can't walk, her legs are really bad, but she can move around using her wings. She is such a sweet girl. She talks and gets excited to get any attention. We have had her almost a year and she was about 4 months old when we got her, so shes about 15 months old. She has a bantam polish that she lives with in their own pen away from the bigger hens and the rooster, but they can see each other and the hens like to drink out of their waterer by sticking their head through the fence. It is nice to know that others are caring for special need chickens. I wasn't sure if she would make it but she's done well so far. We make sure she has her own little food and water bowl near her at all times and we put her in and take her out of her little hutch every night. She flutters around on the ground during the day and if she is so inclined to get something she will work hard to get to it. I can't imagine ever not having her she is just the best pet!

This gives me hope. I have an 11 day old Australorp with bad legs. One leg ( right one) just sticks out in back. i tried to help just after hatch, but it made life too hard on the bird. the right leg would just pull the left one off balance and it would fall. If i tried standing it in a cup it would end up on it's head. So The "good" leg has curled toes. I taped those to try to help and gave up on the right leg. It pulls itself across the brooder with the bad foot pulling the bad leg behind. It was using just the one toe and a wing but now it tries to use the whole foot. Not sure how it will be in the end. I got it started by mixing food with warm water and offering the liquid with a syringe. One small bubble at a time! Now it eats on it's own and I help it drink several times a day just to make sure.
I had to have a separate brooder for This one. i put one of the quieter Aussie chicks in with it. being with the other 7 was too hard they trampled the injured one.
So here i am with a special needs chicken.
I just didn't have the heart to do anything else.
It was stuck in the egg too long BTW. After a day and a half of giving it water off a Q-tip and talking to it. i helped it out slowly. i just kept hoping it would get out on it's own. My Aussie lays very small eggs but this is the first one to be a problem. i finally hatched it in my hand but by then the damage was done.

 

[allygb99]

i have a cross beak, when she was little it was very bad, i entered her in a show, i was worried because of her cross beak she would be dis-qualifed. but a week before the show her beak got a little bit better! i was blessed. another treat is oatmeal,messy but it works! she is 3 years of age and a americana. o her name is brown=)

 

[yoie]

Here is an updated pic of Borg, with some of her bantie flock. She is doing really well, makes a mess out of the feeder (she still gorges her self) She has turned out to be one of the friendliest little birds. She is a little small for her age, but seems to be stedily growing. Her crossbeak and one eye don't slow her down. She does everything her flock does, just sometime in circles

 

[Shianne]

I am loving the new ideas to add to Spaz's "mash". I hadn't thought to use peanut butter or canned cat food...I will be trying those next. Currently I use (I make it differently all the time) creamed corn, fruit yogurts, cottage cheese, milk, raw egg, corn meal, ground flax seed, whole grain flour, watermelon or other fruit juices. Any of these or combos of them mixed with chick starter and left pretty goey. I am surprised that so few people mentioned using egg in their mashes...egg yolk has all the vitamins that they need, so this is the main booster in my mash.

My cross beak sleeps in the brooder in the house with my bitty babies at night, gets breakfast in the morning and then I carry him out to the barn to spend the day free-range with the other "kids" his age (He is 8 weeks). Then when I get home from work, I carry him back in (or he follows me in) and gets his supper which he kindly shares with the 2 and 3 day olds.

I actually use eggs in my mash, they love it. I'll have to try some of the other things.
Crooky is doing good and growing nicely. I asked the feedstore if they had vitamins for chickens and they looked at me like I was crazy, lol. I haven't bought the infant ones yet but she seems to be doing good so I'll hold off for now. Her crossbeak hasn't gotten worse so hopefully it's done growing out now. I believe she is 4 months old now or about.
Love all the pics and stories guys!

 

[cindersga]

Kindred spirits Crook and Broke Beak!

 

[Nimby Chickens]

Wow! Borg has the same deformity as Bird! It looks like Borg got a little bit luckier - her beak is not as bad. I bet you a million bucks that Borg will end up being your most friendly, spoiled chicken. Mark my words.

 

[scootertiki]

Hi guys. I'm totally I'm tears starting to read through this thread....thank you so much for all this wonderful info!

I acquired a lil cross beak girl tonight. The lady I got her from said "she eats fine" and I see she has no lack of "try". When I brought her home she ate for 2 hours...I know it probably takes her that long to actually get food down. She is very thin, but has her big feathers in, everywhere but her head. She came with her "sister" that is always by her side....pecking softly at yer beak cleaning it off...so sweet.

She's outside in the coop inside a cage...to keep them safe. I'm going to make a mash for her tomorrow....but now I'm worried about her regulating her temp out there tonight. It gets about 50 degrees at night.

Anyway....I'm still reading through all of this thread, but thought I would at least make my introduction.

I just have too big of a heart for these animals and I know whatever life and however long I give her....it will the best possible!

 

[NewToFarming]

Hi guys. I'm totally I'm tears starting to read through this thread....thank you so much for all this wonderful info!
I acquired a lil cross beak girl tonight. The lady I got her from said "she eats fine" and I see she has no lack of "try". When I brought her home she ate for 2 hours...I know it probably takes her that long to actually get food down. She is very thin, but has her big feathers in, everywhere but her head. She came with her "sister" that is always by her side....pecking softly at yer beak cleaning it off...so sweet.
She's outside in the coop inside a cage...to keep them safe. I'm going to make a mash for her tomorrow....but now I'm worried about her regulating her temp out there tonight. It gets about 50 degrees at night.
Anyway....I'm still reading through all of this thread, but thought I would at least make my introduction.
I just have too big of a heart for these animals and I know whatever life and however long I give her....it will the best possible!

She looks so sweet and is so lucky to have found you!

 

[Nimby Chickens]

What a sweetie! Is she a salmon faverolles?

Supplement her heat if possible, because she will use up valuable calories keeping warm. Until you get her weight up/she is fully feathered, I'd advise heat.

She will be the world's sweetest chicken. Favs are known to be docile and sweet, and crossbeaks love the ones who feed them!