14 day old silkie having repetitive siezures?

[Seggy5]

Hello everyone!

We just got 5 baby silkie chicks last week and they are now 14 days old. One of our chicks has been having seizures every 10 minutes where he stumble backwards, shakes uncontrollably and as he is shaking, his head slowly drops to his chest and then he shakes himself out of it after 30s to a minute and then goes about his day. This has been happening more and more frequently lately and he also has been more lethargic and not wanting to eat as much.

We have separated him from the rest when this started 3 days ago and have been giving him a liquid multivitamin in his water and are also feeding him egg yolks with molasses, cod liver oil and nuts and seeds. Has anyone seen this happen to their chicks and if so, any recommendations or thoughts as to what it may be?

They are currently inside our home in a bin with a heat lamp (we have been adjusting the heat as they grow) and are walking on woodchips. Thanks in advance!

 

[KelseyBoxer]

The chick needs grit to help digest the nuts and seeds. Do you have a balanced chick starter feed to offer? I am not experienced with silkies, but does the chick have a crest?

 

[Seggy5]

By crest do you mean the fluff of feathers at the top? if so then yes he has a little puff. And as for food, we mixed our own blend of food consisting of: ground flax, chia seeds, quinoa, oats, barely, meal worms, diatomaceous earth, pre and probiotics. We also gave them hardboiled egg yolks, carrots, cucumbers, mackeral (although the chick with the seizures wont eat the fish), multivitamins, and some other random foods.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

By crest do you mean the fluff of feathers at the top? if so then yes he has a little puff. And as for food, we mixed our own blend of food consisting of: ground flax, chia seeds, quinoa, oats, barely, meal worms, diatomaceous earth, pre and probiotics. We also gave them hardboiled egg yolks, carrots, cucumbers, mackeral (although the chick with the seizures wont eat the fish), multivitamins, and some other random foods.

Some breeds of Silkie have vaulted skulls, which if pecked by another bird or hit can cause neurological or brain damage. They're also just prone to it in general. Also I would definitely stop the nuts and seeds. Chicks this young can't break them down like a larger bird would. They need the calcium and vitamins in the starter feed when they're little and it's really critical at this stage.

 

[Seggy5]

Ohhh gotcha yeah this little guy has that vaulted skull for sure and the other chicks that were with him were same age but larger in size due to eating more so they were aggressive at times and very well could have pecked him. And yes we bought the chick feed this morning so will start feeding them that asap. Thanks for your help!

 

[Seggy5]

Some breeds of Silkie have vaulted skulls, which if pecked by another bird or hit can cause neurological or brain damage. They're also just prone to it in general. Also I would definitely stop the nuts and seeds. Chicks this young can't break them down like a larger bird would. They need the calcium and vitamins in the starter feed when they're little and it's really critical at this stage.

can I ask if the chick was pecked and now has the neurological damage, is it reversible or will they fade away (die) over time?

 

[RosemaryDuck]

can I ask if the chick was pecked and now has the neurological damage, is it reversible or will they fade away (die) over time?

I've seen adults on here recover, I'm not sure about chicks though. I'll tag some people and see if anyone has seen this happen to a bird so young.

@Eggcessive
@sourland

 

[Eggcessive]

Chicks can have wry neck symptoms or neurological problems from heredity, hatching issues, or head injuries. Make sure that your vitamins have vitamin E, or get some 400 IU E pearls from your store or pharmacy. Give 1 each daily, along with some vitamin B1 thiamine. Feed only chick feed, and you can mix a small amount of scrambled egg for selenium. Moist feed is sometimes easier to feed. I would use the vitamins for 2 weeks as least. Hopefully, the neurological symptoms will go away. Here is a good video of feeding a silkie with wry neck symptoms:

 

[Seggy5]

Thank you ill get back to everyone in a couple weeks and let you know what happened! I dont think they have wry neck as I have researched that extensively. its the constant seizures that was worrying me and We are now giving them the balanced chick feed, mackerel (which they LOVE) for selenium and also some probiotics and multivitamin.

 

[KelseyBoxer]

So glad the people around here are helpful and kind. Looks like good info and advice about your chicks issue. Best of luck with all your adventures ahead!