A bit of help here? Anorexic Silkies.

[SilkieNation]

I have four silkies - that's it. Right now, that's my flock. They won't eat. My rooster has lost 1/3 of his body weight. The vet says it's "life-threatening". The fecal was negative and I am going to talk with the vet today, as I had blood work done on him as well. They'll eat treats - meal worms, seeds, greens, berries, egg... But hardly any food. I have stopped the treats, I wasn't giving that much really - they are still not eating.

1. Any thoughts on this?
2. How much does a silkie eat daily? Volume-wise?

I wormed them all anyway with valbazen. Their food is a variety of organic "Scratch n' Peck" grower, Nutrena flock raiser, Dumor organic layer crumbles and fermented feed. I keep trying to find something they will eat. Only one of my hens is a good weight. I am frustrated and very concerned and am getting to the point where I feel like there is little more to do than to let them starve, unless I force feed them. They have a healthy, very clean environment. Get to free range when I'm around and are outside in their run as long as the weather is good. Their coop is very big. They have free choice grit and oyster. They have it made. But they won't eat - hardly anything, anyway.

 

[nchls school]

I have four silkies - that's it. Right now, that's my flock. They won't eat.  My rooster has lost 1/3 of his body weight. The vet says it's "life-threatening". The fecal was negative and I am going to talk with the vet today, as I had blood work done on him as well.  They'll eat treats - meal worms, seeds, greens, berries, egg...  But hardly any food. I have stopped the treats, I wasn't giving that much really - they are still not eating.

1. Any thoughts on this?
2. How much does a silkie eat daily?  Volume-wise?

I wormed them all anyway with valbazen. Their food is a variety of organic "Scratch n' Peck" grower, Nutrena flock raiser, Dumor organic layer crumbles and fermented feed. I keep trying to find something they will eat. Only one of my hens is a good weight. I am frustrated and very concerned and am getting to the point where I feel like there is little more to do than to let them starve, unless I force feed them.  They have a healthy, very clean environment. Get to free range when I'm around and are outside in their run as long as the weather is good.  Their coop is very big. They have free choice grit and oyster. They have it made. But they won't eat - hardly anything, anyway. 

I have looked at your post many times in the last two days hoping that someone more knowledgeable would reply. The only advice I can give is to seek out another vet. Just because someone is a vet does not mean they know about, in this case chickens. Our vet here freely admits that she know nothing about birds and has no interest in learning. Good luck.

 

[SilkieNation]

I have looked at your post many times in the last two days hoping that someone more knowledgeable would reply. The only advice I can give is to seek out another vet. Just because someone is a vet does not mean they know about, in this case chickens. Our vet here freely admits that she know nothing about birds and has no interest in learning. Good luck.

Well, I'm not sure it's the vet. He actually is an awesome avian vet at a great hospital and he seems to know a lot. I just haven't spent enough money yet to figure this out. My rooster has some kind of infection - he is super skinny (and 9 years old, my bud). His white count is way, way up. He and a hen have mild bumble foot (that's another story and the vet doesn't think it is the cause of such a high white count) she is broody, so she's not eating a lot, but the other hens aren't either. So the two are on antibiotic and should be getting better, but I'm not seeing it - they aren't eating any better than before the meds. The vet's extended the course of antibiotic for him given the blood work results. My rooster will pick a little and eat a bit out of my hand, otherwise, he just looks at the food - and I am trying some tasty things here! But maybe I'm trying to keep it too healthy. The vet said to feed him anything he will eat to get his weight up. He also said that a chicken won't starve itself out of taste preference. I don't know. They free range a bit when I'm with them and the chipmunks get in their food all of the time. Maybe they picked something up. Avian vet care is so very expensive, but I can't just let them slowly starve to death. There is nothing in their very clean and nice environment that would be of concern (except for the concrete floor under the shavings and straw that is the likely cause of the bumble foot, and it's being covered up tomorrow with rubber mats). It's very upsetting.

 

[nchls school]

Well, I'm not sure it's the vet. He actually is an awesome avian vet at a great hospital and he seems to know a lot. I just haven't spent enough money yet to figure this out.  My rooster has some kind of infection - he is super skinny (and 9 years old, my bud). His white count is way, way up. He and a hen have mild bumble foot (that's another story and the vet doesn't think it is the cause of such a high white count) she is broody, so she's not eating a lot, but the other hens aren't either. So the two are on antibiotic and should be getting better, but I'm not seeing it - they aren't eating any better than before the meds. The vet's extended the course of antibiotic for him given the blood work results. My rooster will pick a little and eat a bit out of my hand, otherwise, he just looks at the food - and I am trying some tasty things here! But maybe I'm trying to keep it too healthy.  The vet said to feed him anything he will eat to get his weight up. He also said that a chicken won't starve itself out of taste preference. I don't know.  They free range a bit when I'm with them and the chipmunks get in their food all of the time. Maybe they picked something up.  Avian vet care is so very expensive, but I can't just let them slowly starve to death. There is nothing in their very clean and nice environment that would be of concern (except for the concrete floor under the shavings and straw that is the likely cause of the bumble foot, and it's being covered up tomorrow with rubber mats).  It's very upsetting.

Another thought-Talk with your vet about infections caused by rodent droppings. If the chipmunks left droppings in the food and the chickens consumed them bacteria may have been transmitted to the bird causing infections.

 

[SilkieNation]

I'm sorry, I'm losing track of who I'm talking to...I had to put my roo down today as an xray revealed a huge mass. The vet opened him up today and I'll talk with him tomorrow. I am now thinking this may be Marek's. I never thought much about it before, but I sure am now.

 

[nchls school]

I'm sorry, I'm losing track of who I'm talking to...I had to put my roo down today as an xray revealed a huge mass. The vet opened him up today and I'll talk with him tomorrow.  I am now thinking this may be Marek's. I never thought much about it before, but I sure am now.

You needn't be sorry. Dealing with this kind of situation is difficult at best. Hopefully your thinking will be wrong about Marek's. Best wishes.

 

[SilkieNation]

You needn't be sorry. Dealing with this kind of situation is difficult at best. Hopefully your thinking will be wrong about Marek's. Best wishes.

Thanks, hopefully I'll get to talk to the vet early, but the more I look at things, the more I think that's it - and i think they all have it. They certainly are all sick. It's killing me - I adore my little birds. But - maybe it's another kind of infection.