Wondering if others can share pictures of crossbeak chicks as they age? In my opinion, having just gotten my first crossbeak chick, if you can see it at birth then it is going to be severe! Would love to hear from anyone with another experience. I am not pro or anti cull, but feel people should be informed. I thought I had a mild or moderate crossbeak on my hands, and wouldn't have noticed the cross so early except that my son saw it. 
Thank goodness I have time to care for mine, because by about week 2 I don't think she could take in enough food to keep up her weight. We are syringe feeding fermented feed and raw egg by dropping it on her lower beak, and find it to be manageable. Doesn't take much longer than feeding the family dog, honestly. She laps it up with her tongue and takes it down on her own. I usually wrap her in a towel up to her lower beak to keep her dry. In my five-week photo she is wet, because she got into the fermented feed on her own. What a mess.
Anyway, if you don't think Applesauce is adorable in her five week photo, maybe keeping a crossbeak chick (visible from birth) isn't for you! Difficult new parent decisions!
Thank goodness I have time to care for mine, because by about week 2 I don't think she could take in enough food to keep up her weight. We are syringe feeding fermented feed and raw egg by dropping it on her lower beak, and find it to be manageable. Doesn't take much longer than feeding the family dog, honestly. She laps it up with her tongue and takes it down on her own. I usually wrap her in a towel up to her lower beak to keep her dry. In my five-week photo she is wet, because she got into the fermented feed on her own. What a mess.
Anyway, if you don't think Applesauce is adorable in her five week photo, maybe keeping a crossbeak chick (visible from birth) isn't for you! Difficult new parent decisions!
