Silkies and Ameraucana

[winterducks]

I have three silkies that are a couple weeks older then my three ameraucanas. I slowly introduced them in a cage for a week and my silkies have chased, pecked and scared away my ameraucana chickens for a good month with no sign of stopping. Today I noticed ones beak was like this. Will they wind up killing it ? ANY suggestions are welcome, thank you.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Today I noticed ones beak was like this. Will they wind up killing it ? ANY suggestions are welcome

Silkies are (or at least can be) bigger jerks than most folks give them credit for. Flock dynamics will continue to change. Have you figure out if the Silkies are pullets or cockerels yet? How big is your set up.. are they confined or free range.. please describe roosts, feeders, and such?

That's a cross beak (Easter Egger). A very common genetic condition that (seems hard to detect at hatch) often gets worse with age. Most birds can survive. Some folks use wet mash or deeper bowls to help with feeding. Adding in extra feeding stations to minimize bullying. Possibly take her aside for special time out feeding of still regular mash if she seems too thin.

They (cross beak) may also have a harder time preening and picking things up off the ground.

It was hard to find any good link so I chose a few anyways for your review and basic informational purposes..

https://the-chicken-chick.com/scissor-beak-aka-crossed-beak-what-it/

https://bitchinchickens.com/2019/02/14/crossbeak/

https://www.muranochickenfarm.com/2018/09/cross-beak-in-chickens.html

I do hope they settle down and thrive together!

 

[nuthatched]

Easter eggers are prone to cross beaking, she may need extra tlc such as a deep dishto eat from and trimming but it's not life threatening. It may or may not get worse.

 

[winterducks]

Silkies are (or at least can be) bigger jerks than most folks give them credit for. Flock dynamics will continue to change. Have you figure out if the Silkies are pullets or cockerels yet? How big is your set up.. are they confined or free range.. please describe roosts, feeders, and such?

That's a cross beak (Easter Egger). A very common genetic condition that (seems hard to detect at hatch) often gets worse with age. Most birds can survive. Some folks use wet mash or deeper bowls to help with feeding. Adding in extra feeding stations to minimize bullying. Possibly take her aside for special time out feeding of still regular mash if she seems too thin.

They (cross beak) may also have a harder time preening and picking things up off the ground.

It was hard to find any good link so I chose a few anyways for your review and basic informational purposes..

https://the-chicken-chick.com/scissor-beak-aka-crossed-beak-what-it/

https://bitchinchickens.com/2019/02/14/crossbeak/

https://www.muranochickenfarm.com/2018/09/cross-beak-in-chickens.html

I do hope they settle down and thrive together!

So the run is 15 feet long by two feet wide. I was told they were all ameraucanas. I'm pretty sure they are all hens. There's two silkie hens and one silkie rooster who we have to rehome him. They free range at times with me and then stay in their run when I'm not home

 

[winterducks]

Easter eggers are prone to cross beaking, she may need extra tlc such as a deep dishto eat from and trimming but it's not life threatening. It may or may not get worse.

I had no idea. I'll look into it and see what she needs

 

[rosemarythyme]

So the run is 15 feet long by two feet wide.

Is this a typo? 2 feet wide? If that's the case, that's why you're having a problem. Chickens need to get about 5-6' away from pursuers if they're being chased. A 2' wide run makes it impossible for them to pass by one another without offending. A 2' wide run also makes it very difficult to add clutter to provide hiding spaces: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/page-6#post-25037140

Also 30 sq ft is enough space for maybe 3 standard birds. You have 6, the run space is simply way too small overall.

 

[winterducks]

Is this a typo? 2 feet wide? If that's the case, that's why you're having a problem. Chickens need to get about 5-6' away from pursuers if they're being chased. A 2' wide run makes it impossible for them to pass by one another without offending. A 2' wide run also makes it very difficult to add clutter to provide hiding spaces: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/page-6#post-25037140

Also 30 sq ft is enough space for maybe 3 standard birds. You have 6, the run space is simply way too small overall.

Omg wow I'm sorry 16 square feet and it's 4x4.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Omg wow I'm sorry 16 square feet and it's 4x4.

That's even worse. At adulthood each bird needs a minimum of roughly 10 sq ft of run space (Silkies may tolerate less, but you already have bullying issues) and ideally enough width to put 5-6' between them and any bullying bird, unless you're free ranging full time.

 

[winterducks]

That's even worse. At adulthood each bird needs a minimum of roughly 10 sq ft of run space (Silkies may tolerate less, but you already have bullying issues) and ideally enough width to put 5-6' between them and any bullying bird, unless you're free ranging full time.

Okay I'll absolutely make it bigger . Thank you for educating me !