I had a bad coccidia outbreak an lost about 10 of my chicks. I took a fecal to a local vet to confirm coccidia. They prescribed ponazuril for the coccidia. I then added rooster booster, extra virgin olive oil (extra fat content to help with weight loss), grow gel (for probiotics) and dried...
One of my silkies started laying at 5 months old as well. My neighbor also had a silkie that came from the same hatchery as mine did and she started laying at 5 months old too. I think it may be more common than we realize.
