Maine

[mckenney]

I have a cross beak EE too that's about 9 weeks old. She can't pick up anything off the ground and hasn't discovered the feeder yet. She just went outside with the other biddies on Friday so she's still getting hazed a bit. I took her inside last night and gave her mash which she ate with gusto, and subsequently decorated my walls with it in her messy eating fashion.
I don't plan to tube feed her, that's insane in my mind, but I will give her a bit of TLC every evening or so for a bit until she discovers the feeder. If she can't eat from the feeder, I'm probably going to cull her unless I can work out a better situation for her. I do put out mash every morning for the big birds, but this one's not high enough on the pecking order to get in it, yet. And I don't really have time to be pulling her out of the coop nightly for her own dinner every single night.
I did clip her beak a bit, but the quick is pretty far down and I was only able to get off 2 mm at the most. I kinda wish I could de-beak her like the hatcheries and factories do because I think that'll help her eat but that's cruel too. I'm just trying to figure out which option is the least cruel.

Hi mckenney,
This seems to be common with Easter Eggers. My cross-beak EE is 2 years old now, and while she doesn't lay as much as the others, she still lays eggs. How you deal with this will depend a lot on your philosophy.
I am very busy and pretty much go with a sink-or-swim approach. I did provide moistened food for a while. The others would go out free-ranging and she would stand right in the dish and eat. Now, she just eats dry food like the others.
I only trimmed her beak once, just a tiny bit, but she managed to eat anyway. We were thinking about trimming again this spring, as the upper beak got very long, but she somehow managed to break it off on her own. She does spend a lot of time at the feeder.
Not all cross-beaks will make it if left to their own devices. I had a dark Cornish that made it 10 weeks, hardly grew much, and died. My EE cross-beak rooster did fine, but we got rid of him. You should not breed your cross-beak, as the trait is passed on.
Some people tube feed theirs, but that is not for me. Good luck with her! Ours is a real hoot, and we're glad to have her.

I won't be tube feeding either, which makes me feel better that there are some crossbeakers that survive and do well! I tried the wet food today, but it did everything to it except try to eat it. It's still trying like hell at the regular feeder and is spending more time there than anyone else. Kind of sad, but still functioning and acting well.
Thank you for your replies!

 

[annabananaandfamily]

Wow! This was a busy thread this weekend!

We lost one of our chicks this weekend and hubs had to cull 2 of the 3 with leg issues

. They just werent functioning on their own at all- not eating, drinking, couldnt get around- and it seemed more cruel to watch them suffer. The 3rd with leg issues seems to be quite the trooper so far. She hops around on 1 leg, but seems to manage just fine. We have one chick that has been trying to establish his/her spot in the pecking order since he/she came out of her shell and little One Leg Peg gives her hell if he/she gets too rough with her. The one that died on its own just kind of died. It seemed to suddenly get really slow and quiet one night and the next morning was gone. I was really bummed about that one especially as it was the one from our own eggs. But I guess thats how it goes.

Hubs is starting to get a little nervous about the number of chickens around here. We have our 5 layers/roos outside and our first batch of meaties that will go the 2nd week in May. But I also have 24 eggs in the incubator, 20 more meaties due to come in in 2 separate batches between now and june and 4 pullets coming as well. Plus I want to set one more set of eggs because there are a couple of breeds that I want and I want to get them locally....so I HAVE to incubate them...duh! I just keep reassuring him that there are plenty of swaps coming up through out the summer, so we will have no trouble thining our flock.

 

[TayFray!]

I have only lost 1 chick so far... Don't wanna jinx it! It died last night because it must have been able to jump out of the box, and it got cold, not under the light! Too bad! I have 5 golden laced polish chicks, 4 partridge silkie chicks, 1 black langshang chick, 8 buff silkie chicks, 1 green egg laying bantam (hatched myself), and 1 silkie x cochin mix bantam. I also have a blue laced red wyandotte, and 3 lilac orpington x blue cochin mixes! They are getting soo big compared to when I first got them! Its crazy!!!!

 

[NewEnglandChick]

I feel like I'm in the midst of one of the most nail-biting series of books, reading these posts about the hatchings!

We have yet to attempt any hatchings here, so I consider you all very brave & devoted Chicken Moms!!

I am currently awaiting the arrival of my "pre-hatched" babies

& hubs is helping getting everything prepped for when they get here!!!


I thought I heard a rumor, when I first got my girls years ago, of a homemade chicken "deterrent" using kitchen ingredients that could be sprayed anywhere you didn't want your chickens to go. Is this something I created in my sleep one night?! I can't find anything, but it seems I can NEVER find exactly what I'm looking for on the computer WHEN I need it. *sigh*
Any ideas...other than putting up barriers? Although hubby HATES the mess all over the lawn, he can live with it if we can just figure out how to keep them off the front porch. We have NO chicken friends/family...so most people are not very aware when stepping on to our porch...if you know what I mean!

 

[kinsey228]

My sick little EE died

She was so sweet, and she was only 3 months old. I hope that whatever happened to her doesn't get the rest of the flock. I guess the coop is going to be sanitized, all chickens dusted w/ DE, and whatever else I can think of.

 

[MrsSerfesME]

. I grew up in Westbrook.

I wouldn't worry about using supplemental heat in the winter. A coop that prevents drafts is about all you need. Chickens do need plenty of fresh air so the air in the coop does have to move and not be stagnant. If it is the humidity builds up the birds are actually colder in a highly insulated coop than one that isn't as well insulated. I use an old metal storage shed. It is under the back deck so it doesn't heat up too much in the summer and in the winter there is a nice snow free area outside the coop for the chickens to wander around. Of course last winter they rarely spent any time in the coop. They just free ranged at will.

As for breeds get what you like. Heat is more of an enemy to birds than cold. And our summers are rarely super hot for extended periods of time. There are plenty of breeds to choose from and you will probably want all of them at some point. Cochins, Orpingtons, Wyandottes and Silkiies all seem to be favorite breeds. If you are interested in other breeds just ask. I'm sure someone on here has them or knows someone who does.

By all means try and get to some of the Chickenstocks. We are trying to get one going at the Windham Tractor Supply. The one that is held in Sanford is great and not too far of a drive. Same goes for Lewiston. Best of all you get to meet some of us from here.

Thank you for the information! I actually lived in Buxton my whole childhood into my early adult years, and Hollis for a few years so moving to Westbrook is taking a little bit to get use to but where we live seems to satisfy my husband's city boy side and my country girl side.

I was showing my husband, and my three year old (he just had to see what I was showing dad) some ideas for coops and stuff yesterday. He has an actual workshop now at our new house so I think he's just eager for an excuse to build something. I have been reading a lot about coops and the do's and don'ts of them and I am learning that moisture is not a good thing, which I kind of figured anyway, but I am learning some good ways to make sure the air in my coop is flowing and keeping things dry and comfortable.

I will definitely be trying to get to some of the Chickenstocks. It's crazy, I don't even have chickens yet and I am already obsessed!

 

[buckabucka]

Quote:
I got a kiddie pool from KMart (couldn't find it anywhere else) last summer for my ducks. I now have bigger ducks and a rubbermaid tub. Want the kiddie pool? It's taking up space in my basement. I bought the bigger one, not the smaller one. You'll probably need a plywood cover for it for rainy or snowy days (which is why I like the turtle). Could always post a want on Craigslist of Freecycle. It took 2-3 posts for me to finally get my turtle.

Wow! Thanks for the offer. I am wondering how big of a diameter the kiddie pool is, approximately? If it is not too big, maybe I could put it in my run, which is semi-covered. Otherwise, I may seek out one of those covered sand boxes. Kinsey, are you putting straight DE in your cat litter box? Or do you mix it with sand? I sprinkled DE in some of their outdoor dusting holes today. We also examined the sick hen, and she appears to be mite-free now. I got her to eat a little scrambled egg today by holding it really close to her beak. I read that bright green diarrhea might be caused by worms. I need to do a little research.

 

[kinsey228]

Wow! Thanks for the offer. I am wondering how big of a diameter the kiddie pool is, approximately? If it is not too big, maybe I could put it in my run, which is semi-covered. Otherwise, I may seek out one of those covered sand boxes.
Kinsey, are you putting straight DE in your cat litter box? Or do you mix it with sand?
I sprinkled DE in some of their outdoor dusting holes today. We also examined the sick hen, and she appears to be mite-free now. I got her to eat a little scrambled egg today by holding it really close to her beak. I read that bright green diarrhea might be caused by worms. I need to do a little research.

I use straight DE in the cat box, and when they free range they dust bathe in whatever dirt they come across. I also add some to their food as a worm preventative. (As well putting apple cider vinegar in their water.) Good luck with your sick hen !

 

[hoppy]

I learned to keep them off the porch, don't feed them near the porch or they will come looking for you.
as far as a spray, citrus keeps cats away, not sure if it would work for chickens because parrots love citrus.

I feel like I'm in the midst of one of the most nail-biting series of books, reading these posts about the hatchings!

We have yet to attempt any hatchings here, so I consider you all very brave & devoted Chicken Moms!!

I am currently awaiting the arrival of my "pre-hatched" babies

& hubs is helping getting everything prepped for when they get here!!!


I thought I heard a rumor, when I first got my girls years ago, of a homemade chicken "deterrent" using kitchen ingredients that could be sprayed anywhere you didn't want your chickens to go. Is this something I created in my sleep one night?! I can't find anything, but it seems I can NEVER find exactly what I'm looking for on the computer WHEN I need it. *sigh*
Any ideas...other than putting up barriers? Although hubby HATES the mess all over the lawn, he can live with it if we can just figure out how to keep them off the front porch. We have NO chicken friends/family...so most people are not very aware when stepping on to our porch...if you know what I mean!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

My sick little EE died

She was so sweet, and she was only 3 months old. I hope that whatever happened to her doesn't get the rest of the flock. I guess the coop is going to be sanitized, all chickens dusted w/ DE, and whatever else I can think of.

I'm so sorry, do you have any idea what she got sick from?

Wow! Thanks for the offer. I am wondering how big of a diameter the kiddie pool is, approximately? If it is not too big, maybe I could put it in my run, which is semi-covered. Otherwise, I may seek out one of those covered sand boxes.
Kinsey, are you putting straight DE in your cat litter box? Or do you mix it with sand?
I sprinkled DE in some of their outdoor dusting holes today. We also examined the sick hen, and she appears to be mite-free now. I got her to eat a little scrambled egg today by holding it really close to her beak. I read that bright green diarrhea might be caused by worms. I need to do a little research.

It's a few inches bigger than 4 feet...