Faverolle peep can't clear her mouth of food: RIP Mucky PUP

[Chickiepoo23]

I have been checking this website for a ton of information ever since our new peeps arrived. Thank you to those who wrote about wry neck (currently treating a silkie) and splay leg (sadly it wasn't splay leg but major leg deformity) and now... I have a faverolle peep that I thought was just a mucky eater until I really picked her up and examined her closely. Her top beak is shorter than her lower beak and it looks like there might be a slight cross keeping her from properly closing her beak.

The big problem and the one that worries me is that she isn't just a mucky eater... the food never seems to clear her mouth but is packed into her beak. I carefully removed all the food, but am worried that it is just going to happen again. I did check to see if she had a sour smell in her mouth and didn't smell anything rotten.

She is currently 3/4 the size of her faverolle sister and needs to put on some weight. I am hoping that since we are about to transition from started to grower that the slightly larger food may be more easily consumed.

If anyone has suggests on how to keep her beak clear and get the food in her, I would appreciate it. Thoughts?

Thank you in advance from a tired overly protective Mother Hen.

 

[Pyxis]

I think you might have more luck if you post in the crossbeak thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-for-special-needs-chickens-and-their-keepers

They all have lots of experience with similar problems. How's your faverolles doing? I'm expecting some of my own soon. If you don't mind me asking, where did you get these guys? Seems like it would be good to avoid getting any chicks from there after all your problems with them!

 

[Chickiepoo23]

Thank you for responding! I am going to post over there now and see if they can help.

The silkies were hatched out from eggs. The wry neck we think was caused by another one of the silkies who is just realizing that there is a pecking order that needs to be established. Turns out wry neck can happen in silkies from a well aimed peck to the head due to their vaulted skulls.

As for the favorelle, I am going to call the group I ordered from and tell them that both my faverolles have genetic issues. Fortunately the other 11 birds I ordered from them are in great shape and without problems. Out of 23 peeps, I am still doing pretty well if there are only two with genetic problems.

As for the faverolle, she isn't doing so well. Between saying good night to her last night and coming back this morning, she got an eye injury. I suspect from the fact that she is at the feeder all the time. So I have cleaned her beak, cleaned her eye, and put her in isolation so that she isn't hurt further and also put her food in a flat dish so she isn't rubbing her face against any partitions. I am going to see about treating her for impacted crop, beak trimming, and then sharing the vit concoction I am feeding the wry neck to keep her as healthy as possible. My house is currently the chick ER.

 

[Chickiepoo23]

RIP Mucky Pup... She died this afternoon.

 

[Pyxis]

I'm so sorry You did all you could for her, and that's what counts.