#TeamCrossbeakAmber

[Lacy Duckwing]

It's been awhile since I've done a before and after of Amber's beak trimming, so I did one this morning.

Before:

After:

In Amber's beak trimming this morning, she got a trim with two different types of nail clippers and the rest filed. She had some new 'beak rot' which when cleaning some stuff out of the side of her beak with a set of tweezers, I accidentally slipped and the tweezers pulled up some of the yellow stuff. Apparently the 'beak rot' is only on the surface, and is only stuff stuck to the roof of her mouth. I was able to clean it all off with the tweezers except for a little piece that looked like skin. (I was gentle and didn't want to play around with that piece too much because it looked like it could be painful if I did.)

Amber wasn't as calm as she often is during all the beak treatment. That could be a result of the extra work and the nail clippers. She struggled so hard that she partly slipped out of her wrap and messed up her feathers. On a side for her usual self, she still made herself right at home in my house as I set things up for her trim. She didn't go to bathroom on my floor like usual, but still acted like her usual hanging out.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Amber had her beak done today. As I worked on her beak, she somehow slipped free of her wrap. She sat on my lap and allowed me to work on her beak like was still wrapped up. It was strange seeing her do that, but I'm thinking it's because she's had her beak done so many times. She knows she needs to sit still while I do it.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Amber this morning after having her beak done:

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Sorry, I forgot to post this yesterday...

My flock got out to free range yesterday. Amber tried to stay in the run all by herself. After I realized that she wasn't getting out to free range, I took her to where her flock was dust-bathing. She joined them and stayed out free-ranging for several hours while I did the coop's Spring clean out. I think she ended up enjoying herself despite her originally wanting to stay in the run. I did spot her free-ranging by herself a few times, but she looked happy.

Amber, yesterday, hanging out with some hens while they dust bathed in their favorite spot after hours of foraging, below. The bald spot on her neck is due to a plucking problem in the flock. The baldness on her back is due to overmounting by another hen. Amber is going to be getting a saddle soon and with the weather getting warmer, her flock mates (not her because she's innocent of plucking anyone) will be receiving Pinless Peepers to stop the plucking.

 

[Bakbuk]

Sorry, I forgot to post this yesterday...

My flock got out to free range yesterday. Amber tried to stay in the run all by herself. After I realized that she wasn't getting out to free range, I took her to where her flock was dust-bathing. She joined them and stayed out free-ranging for several hours while I did the coop's Spring clean out. I think she ended up enjoying herself despite her originally wanting to stay in the run. I did spot her free-ranging by herself a few times, but she looked happy.

Amber, yesterday, hanging out with some hens while they dust bathed in their favorite spot after hours of foraging, below. The bald spot on her neck is due to a plucking problem in the flock. The baldness on her back is due to overmounting by another hen. Amber is going to be getting a saddle soon and with the weather getting warmer, her flock mates (not her because she's innocent of plucking anyone) will be receiving Pinless Peepers to stop the plucking.

View attachment 3443781

I'm assuming she otherwise looks a little raggedy just because it's difficult/impossible to preen properly with that beak?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I'm assuming she otherwise looks a little raggedy just because it's difficult/impossible to preen properly with that beak?

Outside of the plucking, yes. That is common with crossbeaks.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Ol' Amber was naughty today... She escaped while I was gone today with a few other hens. Thankfully, both she and the others were easy to get back in. I just called to them, opened the coop door, and said, "Coop!" She was one of the first ones in and one of the best listeners. Beatrix (my other crossbeak hen) and Marvalo (smallest of the flock) were the hardest. They were also the hens that showed Amber how to fly out. If not them two, it could have been Owl (one of EEs I got with Amber) who showed her. I'm blaming those hens for Amber's escape because I'm kinda confident that she wouldn't escape unless she was following somebody else.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Ol' Amber was naughty today... She escaped while I was gone today with a few other hens. Thankfully, both she and the others were easy to get back in. I just called to them, opened the coop door, and said, "Coop!" She was one of the first ones in and one of the best listeners. Beatrix (my other crossbeak hen) and Marvalo (smallest of the flock) were the hardest. They were also the hens that showed Amber how to fly out. If not them two, it could have been Owl (one of EEs I got with Amber) who showed her. I'm blaming those hens for Amber's escape because I'm kinda confident that she wouldn't escape unless she was following somebody else.

So, I thought Amber's escaping was due to her following somebody else.... Now, I'm questioning that. A few days ago, for two mornings in a row, there were predator tracks around my chicken run, which I hoped was a nighttime only predator. Earlier today, I heard my chickens go off like they were spooked four birds flew out of their pen, which didn't include Amber because she was laying an egg. Before I could figure out where my chickens were, my brother pointed out a predator out by the road. This same predator I've seen multiple times, but I don't know what it is. I'm thinking it's becoming a danger by coming to my birds and spooking them out. Hopefully this predator isn't going to be an issue... For right now, it cannot dig under my fence. With the chickens flying out, I can't really do anything until I can get their run structure repaired for the netting. (First snow storm took it out and there's still a lot of snow around it. I need the ground to level and re-secure it.)

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I've been trying to teach a couple of my hens to come to their names. Amber is one of them. Each hen I seek to teach them to come to their own name usually has a reason for me teaching them that and my reason on Amber is because she often misses out on the treats. Everyone is so fast and it's so hard to get her a treat without everyone else gobbling it all before she has a chance. I'm hoping with her learning her name, I can call her to give her a treat without anyone else knowing about it. Also, when everyone else is around, I want her to know when to expect a treat coming her way.

Today, I was working with her using grain. (Grain is working better than treats because she's always excited for it, even with feed in the nearby feeder. Also, some of the hens who are around don't get as excited over it like she does, so they're not trying to steal it all from her.) She came to her name a couple of times! She still needs work, but she's learning it!

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Today, I finally got to the wooden structure that holds up the chicken run's netting. It had fallen down during the first winter storm, so the netting was removed and the structure was leaned against the coop. I built it stronger this time and put boards all around it for support, and as perches. There's five boards that serve both of those purposes. I put them in a way so the chickens can use them to climb up higher.

Like usual, whenever I put up a new perch, I'll put a hen on it to try it out and to show the others that it's a new perch. Amber was the hen I used today. I put her on the second to highest perch and she wasn't so sure about it. I got a handful of grain, which she immediately went after. I used the grain to coach her higher, then lower. She ended up doing all five perches, both going up and down, and she was so encouraging, that many other hens came up on the perches, even hens who wasn't looking for a treat. I'm thinking she might have to be my hen to coach hens onto new places because I've never had so many hen encouraged to try new things before.