I got a pair of Silkies during the South Florida Fair January. They were then, about 6 months old. 3 months later. She's happily eating, loves papaya and weeds and grasses. She was NOT/NEVER interested in crumbles or pellets. She started laying eggs about 6 weeks ago and within the first 2 weeks. didn't offer to go broody. So, I took them and put them in the hatchabator. out of a dozen eggs none were fertile.. the second set, 2 weeks later.. no interest in going broody, even kicking eggs out of the nestbox. I put that group in and last friday, candled them and 2 had swimmers.
On Sunday, she didn't run up to me at feeding time, she was all huddled up on the ground. I picked her up. Her crop was full. She was VERY light. I took her to get water and she drank and drank and drank. She seemed a little better. Monday, back to square one.. She drank and drank and drank.. I tucked her in a cool corner and set a bowl of water by her. When I got home that night. she was next to the roo, sleeping.. Tuesday morning, she was dead.
I opened up her crop and it was LOADED with whole BOSS. there wasn't anything in her intestines except yellow, thin viscous fluid. Her gizzard had just a slight film of sand, no grit or stones
I feed a lower percentage of crumbles/pellets than anything else. They get free range, plus oats, wild bird seed, BOSS, table scraps, veggies, and fruit. As well as picking up any dropped feed from my horses and what ever they find kicking around in the manure piles and compost bin.. All my other birds are healthy, heavy and I've never had this problem. I have granite grit in small hoppers along with calcium/limestone/oystershell right next to it and all my laying hens get additional oystershell as a top dress mixed in their feed.
My thinking is, this black Silkie girl might have only liked BOSS and due to the lack of grit, she wasn't digesting it. However, she LOVED fresh bananas, Papaya, melon, tomatoes and anything else from our garden and pasta and bread. She turned her nose up at any commercial feed
So, I am worried..I have all standards EXCEPT my bantam silkies.. Should I cut back on the BOSS for them and try to "Force" them to eat crumbles/pellets?
No one else has the "bean bag" feeling crop. That's the way hers felt. That's what prompted me to open her up. She also had no yolks, partially formed eggs, or even whole eggs..just a completely empty gut.
This is a real mystery to me
Please give me feedback in whatever you think.
On Sunday, she didn't run up to me at feeding time, she was all huddled up on the ground. I picked her up. Her crop was full. She was VERY light. I took her to get water and she drank and drank and drank. She seemed a little better. Monday, back to square one.. She drank and drank and drank.. I tucked her in a cool corner and set a bowl of water by her. When I got home that night. she was next to the roo, sleeping.. Tuesday morning, she was dead.
I opened up her crop and it was LOADED with whole BOSS. there wasn't anything in her intestines except yellow, thin viscous fluid. Her gizzard had just a slight film of sand, no grit or stones
I feed a lower percentage of crumbles/pellets than anything else. They get free range, plus oats, wild bird seed, BOSS, table scraps, veggies, and fruit. As well as picking up any dropped feed from my horses and what ever they find kicking around in the manure piles and compost bin.. All my other birds are healthy, heavy and I've never had this problem. I have granite grit in small hoppers along with calcium/limestone/oystershell right next to it and all my laying hens get additional oystershell as a top dress mixed in their feed.
My thinking is, this black Silkie girl might have only liked BOSS and due to the lack of grit, she wasn't digesting it. However, she LOVED fresh bananas, Papaya, melon, tomatoes and anything else from our garden and pasta and bread. She turned her nose up at any commercial feed
So, I am worried..I have all standards EXCEPT my bantam silkies.. Should I cut back on the BOSS for them and try to "Force" them to eat crumbles/pellets?
No one else has the "bean bag" feeling crop. That's the way hers felt. That's what prompted me to open her up. She also had no yolks, partially formed eggs, or even whole eggs..just a completely empty gut.
This is a real mystery to me
Please give me feedback in whatever you think.
