Morning all, 2 days ago I noticed my gorgeous mini Silkie girl acting a bit slow on the movement front and veering off to one side as she lost her balance sort of thing. She would sit on the ground and seems to tip forward quite significantly before 'righting' herself.
So this girl was hatched mid July last year so is around 7 months old now. My hens are conpletely free range and always go for a spot of grass and water before they come to my back door for their growers. I was advised by the breeder to move to layers at 20 weeks which I did, but after a scare a few weeks ago with a slightly younger hen and seeking advice here I was told to move to move back growers until they begun laying. So I give growers in the morning and layers with a small amount of corn in the afternoon. She if course has not actually laid an egg. Due to age/time of year, I was hoping she'd come into lay in the spring time.
So this little girl, I brought her inside to a quiet spot night before last and settled her down and hand fed her with ease as I do this all the time anyway. She ate and drank and I could feel her crop was maybe about half full and soft. She's had a couple of normal poops. She is still legless and mostly immobile, staying on the dog bed where I put her, she has moved about though as she in different positions.
This morning she had tried to feed but been hit and miss sometimes successful but seemed to give up. She's chattering away to me still bless her. I swear I could hear tummy gurgling sounds from her and not me first thing!! Anyway I put some apple cider vinegar in her water and she took some, after her giving up feeding on the pellets I mashed some up with natural yogurt and one raisin mini weetabix and spoon fed her... She loved it. Her crop was maybe a third full but she took what she wanted to take.
Do any of you lovely people have any other advice for me.
So this girl was hatched mid July last year so is around 7 months old now. My hens are conpletely free range and always go for a spot of grass and water before they come to my back door for their growers. I was advised by the breeder to move to layers at 20 weeks which I did, but after a scare a few weeks ago with a slightly younger hen and seeking advice here I was told to move to move back growers until they begun laying. So I give growers in the morning and layers with a small amount of corn in the afternoon. She if course has not actually laid an egg. Due to age/time of year, I was hoping she'd come into lay in the spring time.
So this little girl, I brought her inside to a quiet spot night before last and settled her down and hand fed her with ease as I do this all the time anyway. She ate and drank and I could feel her crop was maybe about half full and soft. She's had a couple of normal poops. She is still legless and mostly immobile, staying on the dog bed where I put her, she has moved about though as she in different positions.
This morning she had tried to feed but been hit and miss sometimes successful but seemed to give up. She's chattering away to me still bless her. I swear I could hear tummy gurgling sounds from her and not me first thing!! Anyway I put some apple cider vinegar in her water and she took some, after her giving up feeding on the pellets I mashed some up with natural yogurt and one raisin mini weetabix and spoon fed her... She loved it. Her crop was maybe a third full but she took what she wanted to take.
Do any of you lovely people have any other advice for me.