A suburban amateur who's in over his head!

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

Best of luck. Definitely post pictures of the birds and their poop.

 

[SuburbanAmateur]

Do you have an avian vet in your area? Some people are lucky like that.

Best wishes, thanks for joining us!

sigh...

I do have an avian vet. Its a really long story but basically one of our girls got attacked by a rat and is now one legged and surviving thanks to our local avian vet who is really a godsend. But we've spent waaay, ($1000+) WAAAY TOO MUCH on that one bird but it was my wife's favorite so now I know that it will easily be $300-500 to take them all to the vet for testing and antibiotics, and frankly we dont have another $300-500 to spend on chickens of all things, especially when I'm still paying off my own unexpected hospital bills from 2 years ago.

I hate to say all that cuz I love them so much and raised them from just little handfuls to first egg but its unfortunately come to the point that If I cant fix it by treating it at home with whatever supplies I can buy at the store or online, or try whatever folk remedy, then we let nature run it's course or hire someone to do the humane thing when the time comes.

 

[SuburbanAmateur]

Different kinds of poop are normal.
The bump sounds unusual. Can you take photos and post your concerns on the emergency forum? Or a video can be helpful in determining behavior... it would have to be uploaded to youtube first then linked here.

I'll try to upload some pics later after work but its something you have to feel for more than see. they're so fluffy its hard to tell visually. it took me a while myself to notice.

 

[SuburbanAmateur]

So you have 4 that are near laying age (or close) and one 3 mo. old chick? Are any of them currently laying? Silkies are almost always sold as unsexed so it's possible you could have cockerels in the group. What behaviors make you believe they're sick?
Silkies are also a lot more "delicate" than standard chickens. I've never owned any because I live in an area that's a little more wet and cold than I think they would thrive outside with my other birds.

What are you feeding them now?
For mixed ages and sexes, All Flock or Flock Raiser is best, with a separate container of oyster shell (calcium) for laying birds. Layer feed isn't really all that special... too much calcium for chicks and males, and not a very high protein content. Also grit should be provided if treats are given, or not allowed to free range and find their own.

Moisture buildup is a key factor in your coop, that's why adequate (more than you think) ventilation is necessary to prevent many respiratory illnesses. They must also have access to a dust bath... just regular dirt or sand, though a small amount of ash from your fireplace can be beneficial.

There are so many possible ailments, all requiring different treatments. More information is needed to be able to help. Please start a new thread (with pictures if possible) over here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/

Here's more links with useful info:
Chicken Coop Ventilation - Go Out There And Cut More Holes In Your Coop!
How Much Room Do Chickens Need

View attachment 1735866

I have:
2 - 9 month olds who are laying
2 - 7 month olds who are not laying yet
1 - 3 month old that I think is either a roo or a silkie mixed with a diff type of chicken cuz her toes are different.

I feed them Purina unmedicated start and grow mixed with Poultry Booster brand vitamins and oyster in a bowl the side

If anything their coop is too dry and windy.

"There are so many possible ailments, all requiring different treatments."

Are there any chicken experts in Broward that I could pay $20~ to drive over and give me their opinion/recommendation on my flock's health and coop set-up?

 

[SuburbanAmateur]

My chickens can have all kinds of poop. Especially since I give them treats. What kind of treats do you offer.
This is just me... I look more closely (because I pick it up every morning) to the poops they create at night. Usually they sleep in their favorite spot every night.
Here’s where you get to become a real chicken dad.
Pick up your birds and give them a good exam. Feel them right down to their skin. Check their crop. Feel their bellies especially between their legs. Take a good look at their vents. It’s important to learn to handle them for just this reason.
If you make it a regular thing your more comfortable and they get accustomed too.
The one thing that caught my eye was the one with the boney back. How does her keel feel? That’s the breast bone. If it’s prominent...really sticking out. She’s malnourished. This with diarrhea is classic symptoms of worms. It happens and is fairly easy to deal with. Scoop up the freshest poop (in baggies) and have your vet run a fecal test. Fairly inexpensive.
It’s a process of elimination.
From what I understand silkies are docile sweet birds so I’m hoping this will be easier for you. It’s time to go hands on Papa. Best wishes

I handle them all the time and feel their crops and chest and backs regularly, thats how I noticed the bump in the ones back. I almost think she had a fall and broke something and it healed this way cuz its making her asymetrical now. I just got that one a month ago so it was 6 months with previous owner.

I give them mealworms sometimes (but not too much) and they all eat plenty but the one with the bump is slower and smaller for her age so worms is a possibility, but in that cas I already have a tube of horse ivermectin and the lady that sold me the chicken said she does 1 cc of ivermectin paste per gallon to deworm her flock every 6 months so maybe I just try that tomorrow and see if theres improvements?

 

[N F C]

sigh...

I do have an avian vet. Its a really long story but basically one of our girls got attacked by a rat and is now one legged and surviving thanks to our local avian vet who is really a godsend. But we've spent waaay, ($1000+) WAAAY TOO MUCH on that one bird but it was my wife's favorite so now I know that it will easily be $300-500 to take them all to the vet for testing and antibiotics, and frankly we dont have another $300-500 to spend on chickens of all things, especially when I'm still paying off my own unexpected hospital bills from 2 years ago.

I hate to say all that cuz I love them so much and raised them from just little handfuls to first egg but its unfortunately come to the point that If I cant fix it by treating it at home with whatever supplies I can buy at the store or online, or try whatever folk remedy, then we let nature run it's course or hire someone to do the humane thing when the time comes.

Your situation is understandable. I think most have to treat their birds to the best of their ability as avian vets are hard to find (at least that's what I've experienced).

 

[feathermaid]

Are there any chicken experts in Broward that I could pay $20~ to drive over and give me their opinion/recommendation on my flock's health and coop set-up?

There might be...
@Pork Pie left a link earlier to find your state thread, here it is again:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/find-your-states-thread.270925/
You could ask if anyone is nearby or knows of anyone who could help in your area.

There are also many BYC "Educators" on the site who frequent the emergency threads. They are very knowledgable and helpful folks, and may already be familiar with what you're experiencing. If not, they would try their best to help you and figure it out and determine if it truly is an emergency, or a defect the bird can live with, or what other things you can do to improve quality of life.

Unfortunately, the new member forum is where us greeters come to say hello

and try to send you in the right direction. I wish you luck!

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Hello! Welcome to BYC!!

Best of luck with your silkies! I hope you'll find out what the issue(s) is.​

 

[Melky]

Welcome to BYC! I’m sure you will get this down. I agree with previous advice. Good Luck! You could try deworming them and see if works. Do entire flock. Also you can switch to Flockraiser feed if have birds of all ages. Make sure oyster shell and poultry grit is on the side.​

 

[007Sean]

Howdy and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!