I am new to this group. I found it while looking for help for this poor critter.
It is a white silkie and I am not even sure if it is a hen or rooster.vI haven't really examined it closely, not wanting to stress it and possibly injure it if it struggles as weak as it is ( I just call it he for now) I work at a riding stable and the owner picked up several assorted exotic type chickens at an auction. We've had them for a month or so in a pen in the (unheated) barn. I came in on Friday morning, it was 10F and one of the silkies was lying on it's side, away from the heat lamp, gasping. I picked it up and the breastbone was like a knife blade! I figure that one of the larger roosters had been keeping it from eating and drinking and the heat. I gave it some warm water with a syringe, put it in a bucket with a towel and left it in the closet next to the water heater in the office. When we finished saddling I checked on it, fully expecting it to have died.(I figured I could at least make it comfortable) I was really surprised when I checked! It was actually holding it head up, so I gave it more water, with a little sugar in it and it was trying to stand in the afternoon so I took it home. I stopped at the feed store to see what they had in the way of antibiotics and electrolytes. I found Terramycin powder but the only thing they had with electrolytes was something called Advance Arrest, which is a nutritional supplement with electrolytes made for calves, foals etc. I figured it was so far gone it couldn't hurt. I force fed a couple of syringes full and he started slurping it up. I also gave him SQ injections of saline to help with hydration. The next few days I kept expecting him to be gone every time I woke up or came home from work, but he's hanging in there and has even started to eat on his own. The main problem now is that I think he has some sort of brain damage. He seems to have a dent in his head right where the beak joins the head on one side (no wound, just a dent) and his head twitches and he flops over backwards occasionally. The flopping has gotten less often, but he seems to have some vision trouble on that side although the eye looks normal. It takes him a second to find the bowl once I put it in front of him. He has started walking around the cage which has a towel in the bottom, but I think I'll get some of the rubber shelf liner stuff to help his footing tomorrow. He seems to be pooping on a regualr basis, although the urates are a bit dry (I am going to do another round of SQ saline tonite)
I guess what I am asking is if you have had any birds with those kind of neurological symptoms and if you think it might get better and any other care/support advice you might have.
I know this is kind of long-winded, but I wanted to get all the info in and the fact I think this little guy is a fighter and really doesn't want to give up.
Please feel free to email me.
[email protected]
Suzi
It is a white silkie and I am not even sure if it is a hen or rooster.vI haven't really examined it closely, not wanting to stress it and possibly injure it if it struggles as weak as it is ( I just call it he for now) I work at a riding stable and the owner picked up several assorted exotic type chickens at an auction. We've had them for a month or so in a pen in the (unheated) barn. I came in on Friday morning, it was 10F and one of the silkies was lying on it's side, away from the heat lamp, gasping. I picked it up and the breastbone was like a knife blade! I figure that one of the larger roosters had been keeping it from eating and drinking and the heat. I gave it some warm water with a syringe, put it in a bucket with a towel and left it in the closet next to the water heater in the office. When we finished saddling I checked on it, fully expecting it to have died.(I figured I could at least make it comfortable) I was really surprised when I checked! It was actually holding it head up, so I gave it more water, with a little sugar in it and it was trying to stand in the afternoon so I took it home. I stopped at the feed store to see what they had in the way of antibiotics and electrolytes. I found Terramycin powder but the only thing they had with electrolytes was something called Advance Arrest, which is a nutritional supplement with electrolytes made for calves, foals etc. I figured it was so far gone it couldn't hurt. I force fed a couple of syringes full and he started slurping it up. I also gave him SQ injections of saline to help with hydration. The next few days I kept expecting him to be gone every time I woke up or came home from work, but he's hanging in there and has even started to eat on his own. The main problem now is that I think he has some sort of brain damage. He seems to have a dent in his head right where the beak joins the head on one side (no wound, just a dent) and his head twitches and he flops over backwards occasionally. The flopping has gotten less often, but he seems to have some vision trouble on that side although the eye looks normal. It takes him a second to find the bowl once I put it in front of him. He has started walking around the cage which has a towel in the bottom, but I think I'll get some of the rubber shelf liner stuff to help his footing tomorrow. He seems to be pooping on a regualr basis, although the urates are a bit dry (I am going to do another round of SQ saline tonite)
I guess what I am asking is if you have had any birds with those kind of neurological symptoms and if you think it might get better and any other care/support advice you might have.
I know this is kind of long-winded, but I wanted to get all the info in and the fact I think this little guy is a fighter and really doesn't want to give up.
Please feel free to email me.
[email protected]
Suzi
