Dead Silkie need some help

[sewchick]

This morning my Dh found one of my silkies dead. Just up and died. Here is some background on how I keep them. They live down cellar in a super large treadmill box. It's about 4 feet by 8 feet. It's plenty big enough. Since they do not fly or have shown no desire to I have just some wire around it. It sits up high on a an old useless chest freezer that does not run. I have at least 8 inches of new pine and it is kept extremely clean. I cannot tolerate that poop smell in here so it's not from them being dirty. They were fed medicated chick feed until they started to lay eggs about a month or so ago, then I changed over to layer feed. They do not go out. Period. We have fox, coyote and cats that have an interest in them. The cellar is around 50+ degrees a lot warmer than the outdoors at night. I give them clean water and feed daily. They have plenty of light. They have a window and a light going until dark. The window does not give enough light all day so I run a low wattage florescent bulb. Do they just up and die? I mean she is young. I don't get it. The other two are fine so far. I will keep an eye on them but jeez she was dead. I am upset over it I just don't get it. Any ideas why she died? She has not been laying very good either but neither have the other two. I am worried the other two will die. Thanks for reading.

 

[4chickns]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.

I'm not very experienced with chickens yet, I've only had my silkies for a year, but that's way too young for her to suddenly die. I've heard they can die from impacted eggs or other problems with egg production, so that would be my only guess. I'm sure someone who is a little more experienced will be more helpful, but I'm so sorry that happened to her.

 

[dieselgrl48]

Birds needs natural sunlight to flourish properly.Most of my coops have several windows even my basement where I brood my chicks have 2 windows.There are some lamps out there that eminate natural sunlight you might want to check on one of those if you plan on keeping them indoor's.My 6 silkie's born on Xmas have been graduated to a coop and are free ranging daily now.I have a blue front Amazon as well and he gets window time several time's a week for his Vit.D.I'm not saying it can just be a natural sunlight deficiency other thing's can happen with bird's and a lot of time's you never find out what happen with them.I had a perfectly healthy peacock only 10 month's old just die last winter in a well sheltered warm hay ladden indoor pen along with another hen same age.The hen was fine but... Lot of variable's and stuff anything can happen.So sorry for your loss and I hope your other's do ok.

 

[sewchick]

I do worry about the daylight. I think I might put the box near the window. Maybe even let them out in a pen. Dunno. I just don't trust the wild animals around here. The fox is real brave and smart. She will hunt in our yard. She will not tackle the cats. One of our cats is very large. He must weigh 20 pounds or so. The fox has managed to get a couple of my best layers and my Black copper maran roo. Luckily I have new chicks and maybe I will get a roo out of it. It's been a tough spring. None of my chickens go out unless they are in the pen. No free ranging here anymore. Lost too many chickens. I would have no problem with taking care of the varmints if I could catch them. The fox comes across the yard every morning but Dh knows not to shoot the gun before I get up or there would be a war. I might make an exception for him to shoot anything that moves towards the coop.

I am thinking that silkie was egg bound. I have had a drop in eggs from them. It wasn't a big drop in eggs....I did get 2 everyday sometimes 3. Lately it's been just one maybe two but hardly ever 3. I dunno. Guess I have to just keep my eye on the other two for now. Thanks for your kind words. I will make sure they get more light.

 

[Elite Silkies]

I think you should have switched them from Medicated Chick Starter at the age of 8 weeks to a Flock Raiser or Start and Grow. Not sure, that's an awful lot of meds for 6 to 7 months.

I would let them outside every once and awhile also.

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Kiwibird]

There is something that causes some hens to die at about the point of lay, which is passed on from one generation to the next via the egg. It causes sudden death in chooks that look healthy, usually. I will just have a quick look for the name of it.

 

[Kiwibird]

Avian leukosis. When you read about this, it sounds as though birds should look ill for a bit before they die, but a very knowledgable breeder here had birds dying suddenly around 18 weeks of age after buying in eggs to introduce a new line, and found that it was this. I bought in eggs, kept some of the chickens and gave some to a friend. We each lost a bird on the same day, very suddenly, looking healthy beforehand, and he strongly suspected it was the same thing. I hadn't autopsied mine to look for tumours, etc. so it may not have been, but then again it may.