Silkie thread!

[BarnGoddess01]

I have to cull one of my 6 week old Silkie chicks that has a terrible case of crossbeak. This chick started out the biggest and is now the smallest of the group of 12. Both upper and lower beak are badly deformed and terribly misaligned so it isn't able to pick at food properly at all and doesn't seem to be figuring out the scoop method. The chick is at the feed dish all the time - trying. Point is, I HAVE to cull this chick.

And I'm dreading it.

 

[NewToFarming]

I am sorry to hear that! I have 2 crossbeaks here. The younger girl is pretty severe. I do a little extra for her by making a mash with grit mixed in and use like a game bird feed. They are large pieces and she can pick that up easier. She figured out if she jumps right into the feed tub she can eat alot easier and has it all to herself. LOL

 

[sager:)silkies]

I have to cull one of my 6 week old Silkie chicks that has a terrible case of crossbeak. This chick started out the biggest and is now the smallest of the group of 12. Both upper and lower beak are badly deformed and terribly misaligned so it isn't able to pick at food properly at all and doesn't seem to be figuring out the scoop method. The chick is at the feed dish all the time - trying. Point is, I HAVE to cull this chick.

And I'm dreading it.

awe barb so sorry to hear that

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I am sorry to hear that! I have 2 crossbeaks here. The younger girl is pretty severe. I do a little extra for her by making a mash with grit mixed in and use like a game bird feed. They are large pieces and she can pick that up easier. She figured out if she jumps right into the feed tub she can eat alot easier and has it all to herself. LOL

I also have 2 with crossbeak but the other one isn't nearly as bad. It was the smallest chick at hatch but has now caught right up with the others. I feed them hard boiled egg every day but I'm noticing that the chick with the worst beak is mostly just sending the stuff flying and not actually getting much in. He/she also likes to spend a lot of time IN the feed dish. <sigh>

 

[peepblessed]

So should I swap him?

I couldn't make a recommendation based on head shot photos. Sorry.

 

[peepblessed]

I have to cull one of my 6 week old Silkie chicks that has a terrible case of crossbeak. This chick started out the biggest and is now the smallest of the group of 12. Both upper and lower beak are badly deformed and terribly misaligned so it isn't able to pick at food properly at all and doesn't seem to be figuring out the scoop method. The chick is at the feed dish all the time - trying. Point is, I HAVE to cull this chick.

And I'm dreading it.

By far the biggest drawback to raising chickens.....

 

[NewToFarming]

I also have 2 with crossbeak but the other one isn't nearly as bad. It was the smallest chick at hatch but has now caught right up with the others. I feed them hard boiled egg every day but I'm noticing that the chick with the worst beak is mostly just sending the stuff flying and not actually getting much in. He/she also likes to spend a lot of time IN the feed dish. <sigh>

It is very sad when you have to do this and usually it is the sweet ones and it makes it even harder. I am currently worried about my youngest girl because she has been broody. She hatched 2 chicks but doesn't want to give up yet. I will very soon have to try to break her of the broodiness. She has been a pistol since day one and was surprisingly high up in the pecking order despite being smaller.

 

[KMHunter]

Please keep your fingers crossed for my hatch.

10 eggs made it to lock down yesterday, one of those was questionable because we couln't see very clearly into the egg.
But still saw veins so we put it in. One of the 11 that were developing died somewhere after day 10 candling.It was a splash.

I am so nervous! I am glad that they are over at a friends house and not here! I would be going absolutely nuts!!
She is going to text me when things start to happen so I can hopefully go over and see.
I don't know how you all do this over and over again.
Although I am now looking at incubators, so what does that say? Lol!

 

[Cynthia12]

Barn so sorry! Like Peep said, one of the biggest drawbacks. It's soo hard when they have thrived for this long.

 

[peepblessed]

Sky 1, Your pictures are soooo precious!!!!