How much should I be trying to get this crossbeak to eat daily? And can I train her to eat sideways?

[vivaciouswoman]

My little crossbeak is not in terrific shape, but she does seem to be getting some pep back. We started hand feeding her (syringe with very thin food/water/vitamins/kombucha mix) about a week ago and have gone from 1-2 feedings a day to 6 feedings yesterday. I just don't know if it's enough, though. And I cannot keep this up!

TARGET AMOUNT QUESTION:
So, does anyone have any guidance on how much food and water a 122 gram chick should be getting per day? She's about 5 weeks old, much smaller than her incubator mates, and doesn't have much muscle or any fat on her bones.

TRAINING QUESTION:
Also, Little Miss Crossbeak pecks forward, in alignment with her top beak, but that doesn't get food into her bottom beak where it can be maneuvered by the tongue to the back of her mouth to her esophogus. She has to be fed on her left side, and I drop food in the middle of her bottom beak in order to get food down her. Is it possible to train a chicken to eat differently?? If not, there's no good long-term outlook here.


When we first noticed her beak problem at about 2 weeks, she looked like this:

Now, she's looking more like this:

 

[sourland]

Upon occasion cross beak progresses to the point where birds are no longer able to eat. Try providing feed in a deep dish so that she can jam her face into the feed - feeding moist feed sometimes works. Good luck with her, but understand that the long term outcome may not be good.

 

[WVduckchick]

Bummer, what a cutie!

@casportpony I think has info on how much minimum they need, plus could help you with tube feeding, if you wanted to go that route.

I wonder if there is any way to re-train the bottom jaw? Have you tried pressing it back toward center?

Sadly it look like its progressing further in the wrong direction, so you may have a sad decision to make.

 

[vivaciouswoman]

She doesn't like me touching her beak or jaw at all. I suspect she may be in pain, in which case, the time to make a decision should be sooner rather than later.

 

[WVduckchick]

She doesn't like me touching her beak or jaw at all. I suspect she may be in pain, in which case, the time to make a decision should be sooner rather than later.

 

[cmom]

This is my Crossed beak Gladys. She is over 2 years old. I feed her crumbles. The rest of the birds get pellets.

 

[cmom]

Evey once in awhile I do trim her beak somewhat and file it being careful so I don't cut where the blood vessels are.

 

[cmom]

I wrap her up in a towel like I do the other birds when getting them ready for a show

. She doesn't like it but does ok.

 

[cmom]

Here is Gladys with one of her buddy's.

 

[cmom]

Upon occasion cross beak progresses to the point where birds are no longer able to eat. Try providing feed in a deep dish so that she can jam her face into the feed - feeding moist feed sometimes works. Good luck with her, but understand that the long term outcome may not be good.

I do fill her bowl up but now she has a larger bowl than the one in the above post picture.