Silkie not eating

[Ry123]

Hi everyone I'm not sure if my silkie caught the same thing as my Easter egger. But my Easter egger is back to normal. My silkie has not been eating but has been drinking a little bit she does not havd a impacted crop or sour crop. I am currently force feeding her and she digests it and has a at crop in the morning. Her poop came out today like water and like normal wet poop which I found weird because it's winter. Here it has been hot really cold for here at night up to 45F and here it is rarely cold. Why isn't she eating? Maybe weather? I really don't know. idk if she could be cold and the weather is taking a toll on her. What are your guys thoughts? She is going to be 2 years old in March. She otherwise isn't showing any other symptom.

 

[Debbie292d]

I doubt it's anything to do with the weather. It's 35F here and my 14 adult silkies are free-ranging. What had your Easter Egger caught?

I'm not sure of what's up with her but silkies are prone to things like wry neck, Mareks, and vitamin deficiencies, and in all these years, it's only been the latter I've ever dealt with. We use Nutra Drench or Poultry Cell in the water a couple of times a month and Rooster Booster granules in their feed to help ward problems off and so far, so good.

You could try a can of tuna in water and/or scrambled eggs and see if she'd eat that. Also could try wetting crumbles, even if it's starter crumbles as mine love that.

For the poop issue, I'd give her some probiotics to see if that helps. That could also help if she's having any crop or digestive issues. We ferment grain so that's loaded with probiotics/prebiotics, but Greek yogurt is very high too. I have Hydro Hen for the water I usually just use for the chicks but that's good too.

How's her vent look? Check to be sure she's not got mites/lice or anything wrong at that end.

 

[Ry123]

I doubt it's anything to do with the weather. It's 35F here and my 14 adult silkies are free-ranging. What had your Easter Egger caught?

I'm not sure of what's up with her but silkies are prone to things like wry neck, Mareks, and vitamin deficiencies, and in all these years, it's only been the latter I've ever dealt with. We use Nutra Drench or Poultry Cell in the water a couple of times a month and Rooster Booster granules in their feed to help ward problems off and so far, so good.

You could try a can of tuna in water and/or scrambled eggs and see if she'd eat that. Also could try wetting crumbles, even if it's starter crumbles as mine love that.

For the poop issue, I'd give her some probiotics to see if that helps. That could also help if she's having any crop or digestive issues. We ferment grain so that's loaded with probiotics/prebiotics, but Greek yogurt is very high too. I have Hydro Hen for the water I usually just use for the chicks but that's good too.

How's her vent look? Check to be sure she's not got mites/lice or anything wrong at that end.

My Easter egger caught a respiratory infection. She is completely better now though. My silkie was born with a deformed skull so she twists her neck. She just hasn't been eating. She eats grass, flowers, Greek yogurt, worms, but no regular feed. And her poop looks more normal then when my Easter egger had her infection. I have been force feeding her probiotics with her store bought feed and dry soldier larvae. I will check her vent once I get home.

 

[Debbie292d]

My Easter egger caught a respiratory infection. She is completely better now though. My silkie was born with a deformed skull so she twists her neck. She just hasn't been eating. She eats grass, flowers, Greek yogurt but no regular feed. And her poop looks more normal then when my Easter egger had her infection. I have been force feeding her probiotics with her store bought feed and dry soldier larvae.

At two years old, not sure it'll ever get better, but chickens can get wry neck from injuries too and that sounds like what happened. I'd still be supplementing her with vitamins, but that's not going to fix her problem now.

I am out of ideas unless when you can check her vent you may find something there. Maybe we can get one of our BYC experts to give more. @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous This is a 2-year-old silkie that stopped eating and can't find anything wrong.

 

[Ry123]

At two years old, not sure it'll ever get better, but chickens can get wry neck from injuries too and that sounds like what happened. I'd still be supplementing her with vitamins, but that's not going to fix her problem now.

I am out of ideas unless when you can check her vent you may find something there. Maybe we can get one of our BYC experts to give more. @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous This is a 2-year-old silkie that stopped eating and can't find anything wrong.

Thank you for the help!

 

[Eggcessive]

Could she be molting? It can be hard to tell with silkies, and they don’t eat well during a molt. Sometimes 1/4 tablet of human B complex vitamins can help the appetite. Has the silky always suffered from wry neck? Have you tried giving vitamin E 400 IU daily along with some cheap Walmart or Walgreens B complex for that? A little bit of scrambled egg daily for selenium would be good to try. Have you spent time to make sure the others are not keeping her from food? Most chickens I have had would do anything for a few bites of scrambled egg or tuna. Hopefully, she will get an appetite back again. Worming her might be something to try next.

 

[Ry123]

Could she be molting? It can be hard to tell with silkies, and they don’t eat well during a molt. Sometimes 1/4 tablet of human B complex vitamins can help the appetite. Has the silky always suffered from wry neck? Have you tried giving vitamin E 400 IU daily along with some cheap Walmart or Walgreens B complex for that? A little bit of scrambled egg daily for selenium would be good to try. Have you spent time to make sure the others are not keeping her from food? Most chickens I have had would do anything for a few bites of scrambled egg or tuna. Hopefully, she will get an appetite back again. Worming her might be something to try next.

She had it since she was a chick I took her to the veterinarian when she was little to get her checked. And they told me that she had a deformed skull and that's why she shook her head and that it was a genetic mutation. I give her vitamin E every once in a while but I will start giving it to her daily. I checked her vent and everything looks normal. I don't think the others are keeping her away from food because they are all so attached to one another and always together. And they don't peck her to get her away from the food bowls. She could be molting but I really don't know. I do feel a very minimal amount of pin feathers do I am not sure if that is considered a molt.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi everyone I'm not sure if my silkie caught the same thing as my Easter egger. But my Easter egger is back to normal. My silkie has not been eating but has been drinking a little bit she does not havd a impacted crop or sour crop. I am currently force feeding her and she digests it and has a at crop in the morning.

My Easter egger caught a respiratory infection. She is completely better now though. My silkie was born with a deformed skull so she twists her neck. She just hasn't been eating. She eats grass, flowers, Greek yogurt, worms, but no regular feed. And her poop looks more normal then when my Easter egger

The EE has respiratory infection, she's better now. Does the Silkie have any respiratory symptoms?
Lesions inside the beak, infection in the ears, coughing, sneezing, etc.?

Do you have photos of her and her poop?

Clarify if her crop is empty in the mornings.

She's not eating regular feed (poultry feed) but is willing eat grass, flowers, yogurt, etc., so she IS eating, just not her normal feed.

Is she's foraging during the day or are you feeding her these other things?

Have you changed her feed to a different brand? I'd try offering it wet and see if it's more interesting to her.

You don't really mention any specific symptoms like lethargy/inactivity, acting off, etc. Just a concern of her not eating her normal feed. Is she molting? Any lice/mites?

 

[Ry123]

The EE has respiratory infection, she's better now. Does the Silkie have any respiratory symptoms?
Lesions inside the beak, infection in the ears, coughing, sneezing, etc.?

Do you have photos of her and her poop?

Clarify if her crop is empty in the mornings.

She's not eating regular feed (poultry feed) but is willing eat grass, flowers, yogurt, etc., so she IS eating, just not her normal feed.

Is she's foraging during the day or are you feeding her these other things?

Have you changed her feed to a different brand? I'd try offering it wet and see if it's more interesting to her.

You don't really mention any specific symptoms like lethargy/inactivity, acting off, etc. Just a concern of her not eating her normal feed. Is she molting? Any lice/mites?

She does not have resperatory problems right now she isn't showing any symptoms that I know of. My Easter egger when she had her infection her poop would look very clear yellow liquid. My silkie right now poops as if it's just water or normal watery poop since I started force feeding her and sometimes solid And poops normal when I forced feed her some solid food. She is not sneezing, coughing or has lesions. When i force feed her crop at night is full. And empty in the mornings. If I didn't force feed her she would be empty at night. Meaning she is digesting her food is what I think at least. She is active and acting like herself. I am feeding her she doesn't free range.

Her feed has not been changed and I have Watered it down bur it doesn't seem to entice her.

She does not have lice or mites and I'm not sure if she is molting. She doesn't want to eat her regular feed. This is a photo of her poop after she dust bathed and I force fed her solid food for the first time yesterday. I usually force feed her some baby food.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She eats grass, flowers, Greek yogurt, worms, but no regular feed.

She is active and acting like herself.

If she's not foraging and you're providing her with all these other things she will be less included to eat her normal feed.

Stop the extras and only provide her normal feed and see if she will begin eating normally.

Active, crop emptying and acting like herself - doesn't sound like she's in too bad of shape to me.