HELP!!!!! Silkie pullet dying :(

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The Colonel

The Colonel

Songster
5 Years
Mar 23, 2014
431
37
108
Middle TN
I have a 4 month old silkie pullet who got pecked on the back of her head. Right at the crown of her crest. I didn't find her until the next day after the injury took place, I isolated her and she wasn't eating or drinking, which caused her to get severely dehydrated. Her crop was very empty, so we had to start droppering it to her. Bought the save a chick from tractor supply, and started giving it to her day before yesterday, hoping she would start feeling well enough to eat. Still nothing this morning. She is so boney, it's awful and I'm afraid she's wasting away to nothing. I know the rate isn't good, and I'm tempted to go ahead and put her down. Just don't know what to do.
 
So sorry about your silkie. Some of the silkies have vaulted skulls, so they can be brain-injured easily. What you are doing dropper-feeding her electrolytes with vitamins is the best thing. A piece of aquarium tubing and a 35-60 cc syringe can function as a tube feeding device. KayTee baby bird food can be tube fed to her. She may or may not survive from her head injury, but you are doing as much as you can. Here is a good diagram of giving medication to a pea fowl, which works for chickens, too: http://www.hopkinslivestock.com/oral_dosing_article.htm
 
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I should've known better than to coop them with the standards in the first place. Thought they would be just like the rest of them. Never thought a hole in there head would make them more susceptible to injury. :/
 
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I know it doesn't help to beat myself up, just wish there was more I could do. My wife has been taking great care of her. I freaked out because we've never had that happen to any of our birds before, but she jumped all over it and took charge. Wouldn't be able to do half without her. She's been a blessing through it.
 
I would start tube feeding asap. One of my silkie roosters had a similar type head injury(no wounds,just from a peck to his head)i saw it happen and within 15 minutes he was almost comatose. He was not eating/drinking,etc. i started tube feeding within a couple of hours and provided additional heat in the form of a hot water bottle,i also added aspirin to his food mixture to help with any swelling/pain. I tube fed him for approx 7 days,after this time he started fighting the tube so i knew it was time for him to start eating,which he did and now is perfectly healthy.

When birds stop eating/drinking you have to be aggressive in treatment b/c they often will not resume eating/drinking without intervention and the fact that they require a constant supply of food/fluids to fuel/hydrate their high metabolic body makes it essential that they receive the required amount of food/fluids. Without this they can go into a type of suspended animation state with death often following within days,tube feeding often will snap them out of this state.
 
The Colonel said:
I should've known better than to coop them with the standards in the first place. Thought they would be just like the rest of them. Never thought a hole in there head would make them more susceptible to injury.
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Don't be too hard on yourself. Some folks can mix their Silkies in with a regular flock, I see photos of Silkies with standard chickens pretty often. I guess it just depends on the flock.

If you can find the materials needed for tube feeding, it is worth a try. It seems a number of us have had success with it. With two people it is not tough to do.
 
I have used baby bird formula with great success. I wasn't brave enough to do the tube feeding but I used a syringe and fed a couple of drops at a time every hour. After my little guy got his strength hand his appetite back he was literally sucking it out of the syringe. First and foremost at this critical time is to keep them hydrated , warm and quiet. Prednisone is used to reduce swelling but it is a prescription only drug and has to be used with great care.
Hope your little one pulls through. :)
 

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