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

[2StrayRoos]

Where do you get this knockout? My cross beak has a hurt leg right now. She hobbles along still eating and drinking. I'm giving her B complex and polyvisol once a day. I wonder if I should do it twice a day. I even bought some St. Johns wort in case it could be Mareks. She has feeling in her leg because while she eats she takes the bad leg and scratches the dirt. She flaps her wings stumbles a bit while doing it. She curls her toes a little while she is sitting. No Grey eyes. Sometimes she breathes thru her mouth. That started after she went head first in the yogurt. Loves yogurt but scare to give it to her now. When we clipped her beak for the first time,it bled and bled even the pencil didn't seem to help. Later that night she was breathing like that. I kept her in the house so I could watch her and she got better. I wonder if cross beaks have sinus problems. I hope it is just a hurt leg. I did have to chase her the last time we trimmed her beak and when I caught her it was by the wing and of course she tried to get away but I grabbed her. It could of happened then and took a week to progress. She is a 12 week old Belgian d'anver and Sunday will be 2 weeks. If it is an injury, I know it takes time to heal. I'm scare to give her the St. Johns wort cause I don't know if this is a cross beak thing lacking vitamins or injury or Mareks. Every time I grab for the St. Johns wort something inside tells me no. I don't know if I have the right kind. I bought it in the vitamin section probably a soft gel capsule. It's not the one in the blue tube. I will be going to TSC today or tomorrow and wonder if there is any thing there I might can get. I want her to pull thru this for she has been dealing with being cross beak so well now. I didn't put her on any vitamins until the limp showed up because she is just as big as her sisters. I guess you don't know what goes on the inside.It also could be from switching from chick starter to grower finisher? Really would like some of input on this and what should I continue to do?

 

[NewToFarming]

I get the knockout at my local feed store. Maybe ask if they carry it or something similar or if they can get it in for you. What are you feeding your crossbeak besides the yogurt? It could be an injury but maybe she lost alot of blood and is weak? I would probably try some scrambled or boiled eggs. This will give her additional nutrition especially protein. Since she loves yogurt maybe you could mix some with the chicken feed and it would have a firmer consistency and she won't be as likely to aspirate it??? I would keep giving the vitamins like you are doing. Is she getting worse, staying the same or showing some improvement? I would probably hold off on the St. John's Wort until you see if she is showing any improvement from the additional nutrition.

 

[2StrayRoos]

I get the knockout at my local feed store. Maybe ask if they carry it or something similar or if they can get it in for you. What are you feeding your crossbeak besides the yogurt? It could be an injury but maybe she lost alot of blood and is weak? I would probably try some scrambled or boiled eggs. This will give her additional nutrition especially protein. Since she loves yogurt maybe you could mix some with the chicken feed and it would have a firmer consistency and she won't be as likely to aspirate it??? I would keep giving the vitamins like you are doing. Is she getting worse, staying the same or showing some improvement? I would probably hold off on the St. John's Wort until you see if she is showing any improvement from the additional nutrition.

She is eating grower finisher food now with a little ultra kibble. We think it is an injury above the hock area. Slipped out of joint. I read you take the leg back as if they are stretching and back down. Should hear it pop into place. Poultry Pedia.com tells you how to do it. The clipping of the beak was 2 months ago. I think she is over that now. I tried eggs today wanted no parts of it. Ate her food as usual. I will put something in the yougurt next time. Scared me to death breathing funny, you could'nt see her nostrils. She seems to be some what better. Pecking on the coop with one of her sisters. Walking a little better, sits alot. Just checked on her, she is beside me in the pet taxi, head inside her wing asleep. How can anybody give up on something so sweet. I put her outside with her sisters during the day in the run. They don't bother her. The other day they were sitting around her as if to say we are all here for you it 'll be OK. I think we will give the poping of the joint back in a try. Going to search it some more first. Thanks for caring

 

[NewToFarming]

I hope she continues to improve! It sounds like you are doing everything you can do at this time. Sometimes it is so hard to figure out what is going on with chickens. They are so stoic and you don't really know something is wrong until it becomes very obvious. I am hoping it is an injury that she will heal from and not one of the diseases but she sounds like a fighter! Keep us posted on how she is doing!

 

[cindersga]

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!

Lisa ~ I haven't given my laying hens oyster shell either as the shells on their eggs are solid. At least that's one expense I don't have, haha. I'll have to take a look at my feed store and see if they carry that. How and where do you store your feed to keep it fresh and the bugs out of it?

 

[NewToFarming]

Lisa ~ I haven't given my laying hens oyster shell either as the shells on their eggs are solid. At least that's one expense I don't have, haha. I'll have to take a look at my feed store and see if they carry that. How and where do you store your feed to keep it fresh and the bugs out of it?

That is good! I go through so much feed here that I don't have to worry about storing it long at all! I go through 100 lbs of regular feed and 50 lbs of the knockout in a week (sometimes less), not to mention mine are little piggies! LOL I do have a a storage shed where I kee everything though.

 

[cindersga]

That is good! I go through so much feed here that I don't have to worry about storing it long at all! I go through 100 lbs of regular feed and 50 lbs of the knockout in a week (sometimes less), not to mention mine are little piggies! LOL I do have a a storage shed where I kee everything though.

Well I only have 7 so maybe that's why I'm not going through that much and...they free range from morning to night. I have the bags of feed (laying and chick) in my potting shed but I'm finding moths in their feed. It is organic feed don't know if that makes any difference.

Another question...my black silky has like white dandruff around the shaft of his feathers that comes off when he scratches. What is that? Do I need to give him a good shampoo? If so what kind of shampoo should I use?

Sorry Lisa...I just keep coming up against stuff I know nothing about, tee hee!

 

[NewToFarming]

Well I only have 7 so maybe that's why I'm not going through that much and...they free range from morning to night. I have the bags of feed (laying and chick) in my potting shed but I'm finding moths in their feed. It is organic feed don't know if that makes any difference.

Another question...my black silky has like white dandruff around the shaft of his feathers that comes off when he scratches. What is that? Do I need to give him a good shampoo? If so what kind of shampoo should I use?

Sorry Lisa...I just keep coming up against stuff I know nothing about, tee hee!

No problem!

I have been told but never did this...Moth's would be like a treat to chickens so it is nothing to worry about! It would be some extra protein for them. You don't want it to get wet or moldy.
Where are you seeing this white stuff. It sounds like he is not preening real well. There is a protective coating as the feather grows. It is a thin white coating. Sometimes if they don't preen enough, usually roosters, it kind of builds up and you can see alot of it. It sounds like this is what this is. But if it is white stuff that looks attached to the feather shafts in clumps, it could be lice eggs. You will see these mostly around the vent and around the neck especially. It will look like a cluster of small teeny eggs on the feather shaft and their skin might be red around it.
If you want to bathe them, you can use baby shampoo or puppy shampoo. I usually try to get something that is non tearing just in case I would get it in their eyes.

 

[cindersga]

No problem!

I have been told but never did this...Moth's would be like a treat to chickens so it is nothing to worry about! It would be some extra protein for them. You don't want it to get wet or moldy.
Where are you seeing this white stuff. It sounds like he is not preening real well. There is a protective coating as the feather grows. It is a thin white coating. Sometimes if they don't preen enough, usually roosters, it kind of builds up and you can see alot of it. It sounds like this is what this is. But if it is white stuff that looks attached to the feather shafts in clumps, it could be lice eggs. You will see these mostly around the vent and around the neck especially. It will look like a cluster of small teeny eggs on the feather shaft and their skin might be red around it.
If you want to bathe them, you can use baby shampoo or puppy shampoo. I usually try to get something that is non tearing just in case I would get it in their eyes.

WELL THAT IS FUNNY BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT...MEAT!!! IT STAYS VERY DRY IN THE POTTING SHED AND WON'T GET WET, NOW OUR GA HUMIDITY MIGHT DO WEIRD THINGS WITH IT

THE WHITE STUFF IS EXACTLY LIKE YOU SAID, A THIN WHITE COATING AND IT IS EVERYWHERE, NO PARTICULAR SPOT, LIKE DANDRUFF. "HE" IS A TYPICAL TEENAGE BOY I GUESS,

I WAS TOLD THEY ARE GETTING READY TO HEAD INTO THEIR MOLTING SEASON AND WONDERED IF THIS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

WENT AND GOT MY RIVER ROCK TODAY

CAN'T WAIT TO PUT IT DOWN IN THE COOP. THANKS AGAIN LISA.

 

[NewToFarming]

WELL THAT IS FUNNY BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT...MEAT!!! IT STAYS VERY DRY IN THE POTTING SHED AND WON'T GET WET, NOW OUR GA HUMIDITY MIGHT DO WEIRD THINGS WITH IT

THE WHITE STUFF IS EXACTLY LIKE YOU SAID, A THIN WHITE COATING AND IT IS EVERYWHERE, NO PARTICULAR SPOT, LIKE DANDRUFF. "HE" IS A TYPICAL TEENAGE BOY I GUESS,

I WAS TOLD THEY ARE GETTING READY TO HEAD INTO THEIR MOLTING SEASON AND WONDERED IF THIS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

WENT AND GOT MY RIVER ROCK TODAY

CAN'T WAIT TO PUT IT DOWN IN THE COOP. THANKS AGAIN LISA.

That is what it sounded like! Glad it wasn't the lice! I am jealous about the river sand. I really want to do that but my housing is so big I will have to get tons of it hauled in. Let me know how it works! I know about this humidity. My silkies look like drowned rats every morning from the wet grass.
I forgot to add that I had seen your coop on the Georgia thread and that is the most awesome coop ever!!! I love it! I think your hubby needs to come and build me a few!