Crossbeak and egg laying.

The Coop Crew said:

I will start leaving some during the day! Just have to find a way to attach it to the coop so she doesn’t tip it over
I didn’t realize she would overfill her crop. Thank you for informing me
I’ve only had my girls for around 6 months and I’m still learning everyday.

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TwoCrows said:

Trial by fire getting a crossbeak on your first go around with chickens! You are doing a wonderful job with your flock, you have a heart of gold caring for your crossbeaked gal, I just know she knows she's loved.

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The Coop Crew said:

Thank you
Luck of the hatch I guess
Once I started to raise her I couldn’t even think about culling her just because of her beak and I’m glad I didn’t. We love her so much

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The Coop Crew said:

As many of you know, I have a chicken with a pretty severe cross beak. She is around 27 weeks old and has not started laying (which I know some breeds start laying later than that) but her comb and wattles are underdeveloped and not red at all. She gets mash everyday and I make sure her crop is full so I know she’s getting enough to eat.
Is it possible that she may not lay at all?
If she doesn’t I am fine with it. She’s our pet so she will still live a happy life with us. I’m just curious!
Thanks for any insight!
Picture to show her comb/wattles.

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PoleFarm said:

We had a one eyed cross beaked bird. She layed smaller eggs and occassionally no yoke eggs but she did ok for a good long time. Sometimes the other birds would pick on her so she'd go sleep with the silkies.

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GlicksChicks said:

I don't know much about crossbeaks, but I have my first one now, his/her's isn't severe and they act normal. The lady I got it from as a chick asked if I wanted it replaced and I said I didn't. I got multiple chicks from her and 2 of them were black colored and one has a slightly mis-aligned beak while the other's is pretty visible and seems to be getting worse.

Their names are Raven and Crow

So happy to see Dorothy doing well! ❤

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mollygrace said:

Answering your original question, I have 6 hens and one is a crossbeak. The 5 started laying in the 20-24 week range. My crossbeak did start laying but probably closer to 30 weeks, and she only laid for about a week and then stopped. She is definitely thinner than the others so it makes sense that's she's mostly eating enough to maintain her basic needs and not enough to make eggs as well.

Side note: she also had a bit of an attitude shift when she started laying! She got a little bolder and started trying to peck at things she had never pecked at before. It was almost like "I can lay eggs like everyone else, so I'm going to act like everyone else!" It was pretty funny.

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The Coop Crew said:

Luckily our girls don’t pick on her. They will actually clean the mash out of her beak for her.

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