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

[NewToFarming]

Here are some pictures of my mash loving Delilah:

LOL.... she really dives into her mash! She is a cutie though. As long as she is healthy & happy, it doesn't matter what they look like! Most days I just moistened the chicken feed and add the vitamins to it. I also add grit in it as well because the crossbeaks have a hard time picking up grit. On special treat days, I will add yogurt in with the mix. They all love that also. I also give everyone knockout. They love that stuff! It has like 12 different grains in it and protein pellets. Most of the pieces in it are larger and easier for the crossbeaks to pick up and it is much healthier for than than scratch.

 

[ESofVA]

I have no problems with caring for any animal that has issues such as these as long as they aren't suffering. I applaud all of you here who do that. NO problems with that so don't take this wrong!
Since some of the issues on here are genetic and can be passed along...maybe in that chicken's clutch but maybe not until there are "grandchicks".
Why on Earth would ANYONE raise chicks from them???? If you want them to hatch eggs, give eggs to her that belong to someone else. But what I even find worse is to hear that someone's flock rooster has a genetic problem...and I don't mean from injuries. That passes that gene to all chicks he produces.
I am sorry...I just read a couple of posts on here which just made me sick to here that some people were breeding these birds with genetic problems and raising chicks from them. No problem for me at all to keep it and not raise chicks from it...but raising chicks from them is just really potentially cruel.

 

[NewToFarming]

I must have missed those posts that crossbeaks and others were being bred because I don't recall seeing any.

 

[ESofVA]

A rooster over a flock is being bred. I hope they aren't raising chicks. I happened to see your bird and I was passing through the first posts. Cute pics of the chicks. I am assuming she is being a foster parent.

 

[NewToFarming]

Yes, she was. Those were white non-bearded SG & silkie eggs I had purchased. She is one of my best Momma's! The best you can hope is the cause of the crossbeak in the rooster was from an incubation problem or injury as a chick so as not to pass it on.

 

[cindersga]

LOL.... she really dives into her mash! She is a cutie though. As long as she is healthy & happy, it doesn't matter what they look like! Most days I just moistened the chicken feed and add the vitamins to it. I also add grit in it as well because the crossbeaks have a hard time picking up grit. On special treat days, I will add yogurt in with the mix. They all love that also. I also give everyone knockout. They love that stuff! It has like 12 different grains in it and protein pellets. Most of the pieces in it are larger and easier for the crossbeaks to pick up and it is much healthier for than than scratch.

Haha she sure does!

I use organic chick feed but didn't think about adding the grit to it. Grit is a misleading word...that grit is huge pieces of granite!!! I can't believe they can eat that. I do give them yogurt at times. Thanks for the heads up on the grit and the Knockout. I'm assuming that is a brand of food.

 

[Magalicious]

I have read so many of these forums and I cannot decide what to do but someone sent me the link to your post and maybe you can give me advice? The chick was born 4 days ago and it came out of the egg bigger and stronger than the rest of the clutch. I have had many chickens and have never seen anything like this. The chick has no eyes and little holes that could be for eyes or could be its ears but its hard to tell with the the positioning. It also has a much larger bottom beak. It doesn't seem to want to eat on its own. Ive been feeding it with a dropper and also putting starter in the side of its mouth and i realize this is very foreign behavior for a chick. Its trying to scratch which i thought was a good sign but cant get anything off the ground. I tried dipping its beak into the dish and it got a little bit but its blind and i have no idea if it can even eat on its own or if it understands where and what the feeders are. Someone suggested yogurt? I would really hate to have to cull the poor thing but its quality of life may be extremely poor. I don't know what to do, should i separate it from the other chicks that hatched? Any advice is welcome.

 

[NewToFarming]

I have read so many of these forums and I cannot decide what to do but someone sent me the link to your post and maybe you can give me advice? The chick was born 4 days ago and it came out of the egg bigger and stronger than the rest of the clutch. I have had many chickens and have never seen anything like this. The chick has no eyes and little holes that could be for eyes or could be its ears but its hard to tell with the the positioning. It also has a much larger bottom beak. It doesn't seem to want to eat on its own. Ive been feeding it with a dropper and also putting starter in the side of its mouth and i realize this is very foreign behavior for a chick. Its trying to scratch which i thought was a good sign but cant get anything off the ground. I tried dipping its beak into the dish and it got a little bit but its blind and i have no idea if it can even eat on its own or if it understands where and what the feeders are. Someone suggested yogurt? I would really hate to have to cull the poor thing but its quality of life may be extremely poor. I don't know what to do, should i separate it from the other chicks that hatched? Any advice is welcome.

You will have to teach it how to eat and drink by sound. Hopefully this little one can hear! There is another thread on how someone had taught there little chick that also hatched with no eyes. Hers is doing great! I know she posted pictures and videos on there. I had a blind chick that came to me at 8 weeks old and I am surprised it made it that long because the previous owner had no clue she was blind! But it can be done! I will search and post the thread about the chick with no eyes and hopefully it will help. Keep us posted on this poor little one!

 

[NewToFarming]

Here is the thread about the chick with no eyes. I hope this helps!!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/520492/newly-hatched-chick-no-eyes-update-1-31-12-she-layed

 

[NewToFarming]

Haha she sure does!

I use organic chick feed but didn't think about adding the grit to it. Grit is a misleading word...that grit is huge pieces of granite!!! I can't believe they can eat that. I do give them yogurt at times. Thanks for the heads up on the grit and the Knockout. I'm assuming that is a brand of food.

Oh I know! It is like you are feeding them rocks! LOL Yes, the knockout is really a game bird feed and has more nutrition than a layer feed. I do give layer feed and then I also use the knockout as like a treat twice a day. My flock goes bonkers over it and gets quite upset if I run out and only have the layer to give them! LOL I have not needed to supplement my girls with oyster shell since starting them on knockout! They have good hard shells and some can be bounced off the floor! I noticed a big difference in how they looked too. Their feathers got so much nicer and they just looked healthier overall!