How commom is it to strangle a chick

[aart]

I've had this happen just one time, and not with a Silkie but a standard Cochin. The baby got stuck in a feather that was stuck to another by a little bit of poo. I don't know how long the poor little thing was stuck there, but it was very much alive and well when I freed it. Momma seemed relieved to have the screaming peeper taken off her backside as well.
Nikki

I remember reading this long ago........

..........and just had a chick get tangled in a loop of feathers on a cochin mix broody mama breast,
didn't kill it (it was fine) but I had to cut it loose from the broody, then cut the loop off the chicks neck.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I've had it happen a couple of times since I made that post, once with a Silkie and once with another Cochin. It was the same deal, a feather stuck to another feather that I had to cut. One I lost, the other I saved. I'm not sure there's anything that can be done to prevent it either. Maybe I could brush my Silkies, but I don't know about the Cochins? All of mine got stuck in their butt or leg feathers.

 

[paris_r]

I've had it happen a couple of times since I made that post, once with a Silkie and once with another Cochin. It was the same deal, a feather stuck to another feather that I had to cut. One I lost, the other I saved. I'm not sure there's anything that can be done to prevent it either. Maybe I could brush my Silkies, but I don't know about the Cochins? All of mine got stuck in their butt or leg feathers.

sometimes the poop that sticks her feathers together isnt hers-its from other babies. my solution is Ockham's razor -i just cut short her feathers

 

[M Claire]

Hello, I am just leaving my story on all of these threads as a warning. Silkies have wonderful mothering instincts, but I have picked six caught babies out our silkie's feathers and today I was too late and lost a beautiful month-old crested polish baby. I will never work with a silkie broody again. Our two pekin bantams always pluck themselves clean and I have never, ever had this problem.

 

[Seafenton]

I had this happen to my australorp Hen & baby today . I was missing a chick, looking for it, only to see mumma hen dragging it around her underside. I grabbed them & removed the limp week old. Three feathers from mom had matted around the chicks neck and wing overnight.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I had to untangle a chick from silkie feathers once this year, but it was all tangled up around it's chest area, & not around the neck luckily. The chick was still alive, but not sure how long it had been dangling for.

 

[Seafenton]

I had to untangle a chick from silkie feathers once this year, but it was all tangled up around it's chest area, & not around the neck luckily.

I’m kind of reassured that other have experienced this. I was shocked and saddened today. Thank you for sharing

 

[MysteryChicken]

I’m kind of reassured that other have experienced this. I was shocked and saddened today. Thank you for sharing

You're welcome.

 

[LaFleche]

I have had this happen years ago with one of my very experienced Silver Laced Wyandottes but was able to untangle the chick in time and without any further harm.

 

[Mimi13]

I just had this happen a couple of months ago. I never had even considered this a hazard, but it turned out fatal for one of my chicks.

My Black Ameraucana had 3 feathers held together by a tiny piece of dried poop.

The chick obviously came up through the stuck together feathers and wrestled trying to get lose. He must have fought trying to get free and couldn’t. I found him a couple of feet away from the broody with the feathers all wrapped around his neck, the feathers had been pulled out in the struggle. I’m not sure if he strangled himself or broke his neck, but needless to say I was upset.