3 dead silkies - unknown why?

[dazz02]

I had a total of 5 black silkies at 5 weeks old all doing well. They were in with other chicks including turkey guinea fowl and a few others, they all were getting on fine and all eating and drinking well.

The roof of the pen has mesh area to allow a good supply of air it also has a window which has been open. Last night it rained very hard and the pen had a large puddle of water.

3 of the silkies this morning were dead and had gone stiff so had been dead for sometime although they were fine last night. I have 2 thoughts in my mind.

1 a predator had gone through the window and killed the 3, (why it didn't kill any others and why it only killed the black ones i don't know).
2 the puddle in the pen got them wet and they became weak and died (why the 3 black silkies got wet and none of the others i don't know as this morning they seemed to enjoy wading through the water)

They are the only 2 reasons i could think of to what may have caused them to die. They were spread out around the pen which also raises questions

If anyone can be of any help then please comment.

 

[realsis]

I thought of a couple things. Silkies feathers don't repel water like the other birds feathers do and maybe they got wet and too cold? Another thought maybe the silkies drank from the puddle and that made them sick? Sometimes silkies can be more fragile than the other birds. I have silkies too and I've noticed this. These are just a couple of thoughts I've had? Hope this helps and I'm very very sorry for your losses. It does seem strange only the silkies were effected?

 

[dazz02]

But out of the 5 black silkies and the 1 brown silkie i forgot to mention, that were in the pen only 3 of the black ones died. The other 2 black silkies looked a bit ill but soon recovered and were fine. Strange how the brown one wasn't fazed. A sad day.

 

[realsis]

I'm so very very sorry! Yes it is always hard to loose beloved pets.I wish I knew the answers but you may never really know what exactly happened? I'm so very sorry you lost your birds! This is very sad. I pray God gives you comfort during this very sad time. I wish I could be of more help but without any real clues its very difficult to even guess. and what makes it stranger is only the black ones were effected? It defiently is a strange mystery. Again I'm very sport you lost your birds.

 

[dazz02]

thank you very much, your support is much appreciated.

 

[Suzie]

As a fellow Silkie lover and breeder, I too am saddened to hear of your losses...

Strange to relate but two of my young Silkies were housed with other chicks ( not of the same breed ) and they too died in similar circumstances last Summer... I am not one to open up and survey the anatomy of my chickens that die (due to my not having extensive kniowledge of what belongs where in their internal anatomy ) but I do thoroughly examine them externally... I thought mine may have died to extremely hot weather conditions but found the two infested with mites..... none of my other chicks showed any symptoms and having examined all of the others there was no evidence of any mites on any of them... I was perplexed and still am to this day.. why my beloved Silkies?

I used permethryn and the coop was always clean, fresh water, correct feed etc...

Sadly, sometimes happenings occur that we cannot account for.

Thinking of you

 

[dazz02]

thank you Suzie, there didn't seem anything wrong with them. I have cleaned an old shed out and i will move them tomorrow after the disinfectant has dried. They will be kept dryer so will hopefully be better

 

[Fancychooklady]

Silkies don't fare well in the rain. I have had to towel dry mine when they get caught out in a storm. Sorry.