Weight gainers for crossbeak

[MetroMutt]

Ok so I'm soon adopting a sweet crossbeak hen named Criss, at the moment she is pretty skinny and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas to help her gain weight! She has 24/7 access to crumbles in a deep dish which she is able to get down.

Today I added some powdered wheat and dried beetroot to her food is there anything else I can add? She has awful aim and does better with small food she can get in her beak.

Ty!

 

[nuthatched]

What's the wheat and beetroot do? Maybe high protein turkey crumbles?

 

[MetroMutt]

What's the wheat and beetroot do? Maybe high protein turkey crumbles?

It's mostly just to add variation to the diet but I'm hoping it helps her gain a bit too! And maybe! I'll have to check if the farm has any

 

[kerbotx]

Have you tried boiled eggs? Eggs are always a go-to food for me, anytime I have a bird doing poorly. And although I haven't tried it myself, I have seen it talked about a good bit - formula for baby birds, 22% protein: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0002DG...colid=2WEBLS4TL0J19&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1
I don't know if it would flow through a nipple waterer, but it could also be added to her crumbles, if she's able to eat wet mash.

 

[sne264]

It's mostly just to add variation to the diet but I'm hoping it helps her gain a bit too! And maybe! I'll have to check if the farm has any

I have a severe cross beak chicken that I raised since a baby. Re: chicken care article: I give her wet mash combined with bananas or plain yogurt. I remove her from the other Hens (they will gobble it up) and check on her bowl to mix it up again. If I don’t constantly move the mash to a lump, she is unable to grab with her beak. She is slowly putting on weight. I feed her three times a day and hope she is able to find other food while ranging. She is only 20weeks but acts very healthy. I can’t tell yet how good she is doing. She is still smaller than her sister

 

[Folly's place]

These are very difficult birds to manage, and often are malnourished all the time. Keeping one going, especially when they start laying eggs, is really a challenge.
Feed a really good chick starter or all flock diet, always fresh by mill date, in that deep dish. Water in a deep dish also. Don't worry about variety in her diet, she needs balanced feed all the time, and any treats need to be very nourishing.
If any beak trimming would be helpful, keep that up. Some are so bad trimming just doesn't matter at all.
There's a thread here, search it, about this.
And don't let her just waste away!!!
Mary