Food for Cross Beak Rooster

[valerie]

I have a 9 month old cross beak rooster. He seems to be doing well. I do keep food in a deep dish and trim his beak occassionally. I am looking for other food ideas on to feed him with his 'handicap'. Why is it that animals (chickens, cats, cows,etc.) with special needs are the sweetest!
Thanks,
Valerie

 

[chantecler]

Hi Valerie

it s so true, my two little crossbeaks, Dora and beck-croisé ( means cross beak in frnech) are sooo sweat!
The treats that work well with them are soups and other liquids.
They love them! Like you say, keeping the beak trimmed and giving deep dishes of feed are a plus. I tend to check their crops when ever I think of it just to make sure they are gettign feed. I makes me feel better.
Mine are going on 7months and are laying just like the other girls. Funny, but the two special-girls tend to hang out together.... birds of a feather....
LOL
Good luck!
N:

 

[valerie]

I fix him warm oatmeal and yogurt. He can't eat bread with the others I hadn't thought of soup. I'll have to try that. I sometimes soak his food (laying crumbies) in warm water. I also share warm fresh cows milk with him. Yes he's a tad spoiled! haha They also like clabbered milk. Do you trim the beak? I usually trim both upper and lower. Somewhere I read that they only trimmed the upper???? Thanks for the ideas
Valerie

 

[Dorothy1324]

we have our little crooked beak (that is her name) she eats grain like the rest of them but she also does great with the crumbles and she loves cooked pumpkin.

 

[chantecler]

cooked pumpkin and milk! I'll give those a try too.

I trim both top and bottom as they both get long. I'll be honest and say that I only got around to trimming them for the first time 3 weeks ago....

But what a difference it mad! they were really able to chow down and when I checked their crops they were huge compared to before the trim. I guess they were always just picking at the food and not able to really gorge

they now can eat from my hand like the rest of them.

N

 

[CarolsCritters]

I have 2 chicks with crossed beaks, one is a hen and one is a rooster. They are 5 months old now and ironically the rooster is keeping up with the rest of the boys just on crumbles and misc., no special treatment and his beak is pretty badly crossed. The hen is not as aggressive, so I take a giant bowl of cooked oatmeal out to the girls 1-2x per day. I add quick cooking oatmeal, milk, honey or pancake syrup and a scoop full of chick crumbles. All 4 girls love it and Goofy is as big as her mother now. You're a good person for making the extra effort to keep such a special creature! Hearing about those who just "cull" them as a remedy makes me ill.
Here is a photo of Goofy when she was smaller. Her beak is much worse now but she is doing fine. As you can see, the oatmeal makes for a messy face!

 

[chantecler]

Goofy!

I love the name!!! she is pretty cute.
I'm such a sucker for the underdogs!

the last two cats I got at the shelter were the two cowering in the back of the cages that I figured no one else would pick...

Glad to know I'm not the only one out there