Oh my goodness I need help!

[MROO]

So I was able to get her to drink out of the waterer!! I held her in front of it and put a drop on her beak, than she drank a few times on her own but I had to hold her in place. How do I get her to eat?? She won’t open her beak to eat, same with the splay leg chick. If I could get them to eat I think they will have a chance.

Make a runny gruel with water & feed. Lay it along the side of their beaks with an eyedropper. Hopefully, once they get some food in their systems, they'll realize that they're actually hungry and keep going on their own. Wet feed may be best for your crossbeak chick, at least in the beginning. It's often easier for crossbeaks to scoop up wet food than to peck up dry crumbles.
You do realize, of course, that by the time you get through all of this nursemaiding, you'll likely be too attached to eat 'em!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Make a runny gruel with water & feed. Lay it along the side of their beaks with an eyedropper. Hopefully, once they get some food in their systems, they'll realize that they're actually hungry and keep going on their own. Wet feed may be best for your crossbeak chick, at least in the beginning. It's often easier for crossbeaks to scoop up wet food than to peck up dry crumbles.
You do realize, of course, that by the time you get through all of this nursemaiding, you'll likely be too attached to eat 'em!

As soon as we brought them in I decided that if they lived, they would definitely be pets! They keep crying all the time, do you think it’s because they are hungry or because they want to be held? I did try wet food and it didn’t work, but I will try again.

 

[Anon112]

Poor things. One suggestion that I know can work for other animals (but I do not have experience with this for chickens) is to have something with a distinct texture underneath where the food and water are so when they feel that texture they know they are near the food.

I'm such a sucker for special needs animals. I wish you the best whether you decide to cull them or to raise them as best you can.