Post by gardendaddy on Oct 29, 2010 5:25:02 GMT -6
I have mentioned here many-many months ago that I had a then 4-week old Ameraucana pullet that suddenly in one day had a crossed beak. I got some input from several members and decided instead of putting it down to just keep her and see what happens.
Her beak had gotten worse and worse all the time but I fixed it where she was still eating and drinking but was unable to"forage" well when I would add extra treats in the way of grasses, melons, seeds, scratch, etc.
Often, the rest of the flock would pick at her beak as she often had food stuck to it as she could not clean her beak well like they do and they were eating the excess food off. Yesterday afternoon, I noticed she had blood severely dripping off her very crossed and downward curved beak and I realized that she had blood coming from her mouth. I believe the other birds had pecked her so hard that it damaged the inside of her "mouth-part" and she was very subdued so I made the decision to put her down. She went quietly and relatively painlessly. It was a tough thing to do but knew she was better off. Just reporting back to those who showed interest in the past or who might get that same gene defect in the future...if I had it to do again, I would have put her down when she was 4-weeks old instead of 7-months old only because the little thing would not have become so familiar and almost pet-like.
Mike
Her beak had gotten worse and worse all the time but I fixed it where she was still eating and drinking but was unable to"forage" well when I would add extra treats in the way of grasses, melons, seeds, scratch, etc.
Often, the rest of the flock would pick at her beak as she often had food stuck to it as she could not clean her beak well like they do and they were eating the excess food off. Yesterday afternoon, I noticed she had blood severely dripping off her very crossed and downward curved beak and I realized that she had blood coming from her mouth. I believe the other birds had pecked her so hard that it damaged the inside of her "mouth-part" and she was very subdued so I made the decision to put her down. She went quietly and relatively painlessly. It was a tough thing to do but knew she was better off. Just reporting back to those who showed interest in the past or who might get that same gene defect in the future...if I had it to do again, I would have put her down when she was 4-weeks old instead of 7-months old only because the little thing would not have become so familiar and almost pet-like.
Mike
