Blu-kote backfired - help! (pics added)

[karmical]

So sorry for your loss Brahma Mama

Thanks, Silkie for all those suggestions...really helpful. Interesting too, to hear about the picking of the "beauty" breeds. I'm so torn as to whether or not I should separate them. It really seems like it's not getting any worse...(I hope I'm not wrong about that)....their beards and muffs are gone (and then some on poor Shirley) but they don't seem to be very bothered by it. It looks like the feathers are starting to come back in here and there, which I see the SF's picking at on each other! So strange. I'm afraid that if I take them away from the others they'll have less to keep them busy and pick each other more. It makes me wonder what'll happen at molting time...if they'll pick each other as the feathers are coming in...and why, after being fine with the way each other looked for six months did they start picking in the first place?!

Wondering how much of this really is dietary...They get BOSS, yogurt and spinach (which I discovered has methionine in it) every day now...and the fish meal arrived yesterday, so I gave that for the first time this AM mixed in with the yogurt. It was interesting, the three birds that I've seen doing most of the picking were the ones most interested in the yogurt concoction. Maybe I'm hitting the right combo of things finally and that's why they seem to be doing less picking? Whatever it is, I just hope it keeps working!

Hang in there you guys...let's hope that this is just a phase and after making some adjustments, things will go back to "normal" for all of us!

 

[BrahmaMama]

Therealsilkiechick, thank you so much for the info! I have also been feeling discouraged lately, and it helps to get a "pep talk"

Dawn

 

[BrahmaMama]

Thank you Karmical

Hope you can also get everything figured out, I know it's so hard when things are not well with our feathered friends.

 

[speckledhen]

BrahmaMama, I didn't see where your question about apple cider vinegar (ACV) was answered, if it was, I apologize for being blind. The organic, unfilitered ACV with the mother of vinegar (sediment on bottom) is given at a rate of a few tablespoons to a gallon of water (plastic waterer only) to boost the immune system. Those of us who do that also chop up fresh garlic cloves once in awhile and either put it in their food or float one whole clove in the waterer to also help with the immune system.

 

[BrahmaMama]

Thank you Speckledhen

Therealsilkiechick did address it; I do have the plain old Heinz ACV, but not any that has sediment on the bottom...can you get that at a regular grocery store, or Walmart? I'm getting a grocery list made, just for the chickens, lol! I do have garlic already, one of my fave flavors. And of course my main waterer is stainless steel...I do have one smaller plastic one from when they were chicks, the only problem is it won't work on the heater I have.

Have you ever used Cayenne pepper (powdered from the seasoning aisle I'm assuming) for treating anything?

 

[therealsilkiechick]

i think here ya can get the unfiltered kind at martins(giant foods) cause they carry alot of organic things but i have never seen it anywhere as i don't eat organics normally so i don't look for them. others maybe able to help you with a store that sells it who knows more about organics. we just use the regular heinz apple cider vinegar and it works great. i use plastic 1 gal waterers and the garlic also same way. the only other kind of vinegar i have seen here is the white but it doesn't work the same so i don't use it.

i just bought some of that from the meat market as i have a silkie with frostbite feet who will loose her feet. another byc'er sugested trying it to help her with circulation. my only prob is i don't know how much to add to her feed. i got about 8oz of it for $3.50. that's a lifetime supply,lol but i couldn't find it anywhere else.
silkie

 

[BrahmaMama]

Oh wow, I hope you can help the poor girl! So cayenne pepper helps with circulation...interesting. I suppose it has that...capsasin, or however you spell it. I want to say there's a medicine for humans that has it in it...now that I'm thinking about it

 

[therealsilkiechick]

she is doing good so far. i feel so bad for her too but i see improvements everyday and she is holding stong and i'm very thankful for that, i couldn't bare to lose her. i believe she will recover but she will be handicaped from it in the end. it's very hard to see her go through all this she is such a sweet and beautiful creature it's really a shame this had to happen to her.

yep that's what they said it would help with and i think it has that in it that's why. i honestly don't know what all would help with circulation that's all new to me. my mom is diabetic mabe she could help with ideas of some natural things like the pepper that may help too.
silkie

 

[BrahmaMama]

Good luck with your girl, it sounds like you are doing the best you can for her. I'm learning alot about natural treatments for illness/injuries, I think it's wonderful that we can still pursue these means, as opposed to medicating at the sign of a sniffle. I still have alot to learn though

Dawn

 

[therealsilkiechick]

thank you. yes, i agree on that. i hope to learn as much as i can about it also.
silkie