dieing Silkie

[chicnchic]

I just went out to shut the girls in, and found one of my Silkies (pullet) limp and cool...she has very little life left in her....I can feel every bone in her neck, and though her crop is puffy (almost flabby), it's not hard as though impacted. I don't expect her to last more than another hour, but have no clue what, if anything I can do (I just got home from a weeks vacation last night, and someone else cared for them for us) but she was acting fine this afternoon. If anyone has an idea what I can do, or look for once she has passed, I'm good with doing an autopsy if it'll help me prevent this from happening again, or show me how to help another bird should it happen again.
I'm thankful for any input.
Thanks much in advance.

 

[chicnchic]

Ok, she's gone now....any suggestions would be helpful....my Roo died while I was gone, and I have no idea what from, so I'll appreciate all the help I can get!

 

[leadwolf1]

I just lost a silkie due to a sore crop. I don't know if that was your problem but her crop was really swollen and squishy...

 

[mkcolls]

I'm sorry for your loss.

I hope you are able to get answers to this mystery.

 

[Uniontown Poultry]

So sorry for your loss!

Your two losses will be hard to diagnose since you were gone and someone else was taking care of them, but I would ask that person if they noticed any lethargic behavior, were they sitting around, feathers ruffled, etc. Check out your remaining birds & give them each the once-over - check for parasites, listen to their breathing etc. Keep an eye out for their fresh droppings & look at those for signs of blood or illness. A necropsy can help sometimes, but a lot of times, what you find might not be something that helps your other birds.

I lost a hen myself today. When I left this morning, she was walking around like usual, eating and all that, and 4 hours later my husband just found her keeled over on our walkway, stone dead but still a little warm. Not a mark on her, no signs of distress, just dead. She had engaged in some nutty behavior in the previous month that made me think she might have nerological problems. Of course, you lost two birds in rather quick succession, so you may not want to be so blase about it. Have a good talk with your chickens caretaker and examine your remaining birds carefully. Hopefully that will give you some answers as to what might have been the problem. Good luck to you.

 

[chicnchic]

Quote:
Sorry for your loss too! (These lil Silkies get under your skin, don't they!?)....Sounds similar...just not a "normal-feeling crop" like it was full of that goopy stuff that the kids play with....slime I think it's called....she was running around pecking at my toes like normal earlier that day. Strange....thanks to all of you for your input and sympathies...I HATE losing birds....Even the ones we raise for food, it makes me nuts if they're not content! I need to know that my animals feel safe and happy while they're with us, and even in the butchering they're treated with respect....so when one just dies, it's so hard....I feel like I failed them. I know...learning curve! ;^) Earlier in the year I lost a duck to Bumblefoot, and now swear by Vertricyn...it's saved a couple of others from problems when they injured their feet! If that drake wasn't so important, he'd be gone!

Man, they're rough!

 

[TreeHugger]

Sorry for your loss. I lost one of my silkies a few weeks ago. She was a perfectily healthy looking bird, no signs of outside trauma, no mites/lice, healthy weight & active. I never did figure out what happened to her; her crop was also a little enlarged & squishy and the thought of sour crop crossed my mind. I have noticed with my SQ silkies some of them seem to die young from heart attack like symptoms - found on their backs with their feet up.

 

[chicnchic]

Quote:
Awww.....I'm sorry....I can't imagine finding one feet up....thanks for the warning, that would have freaked me out! It is sounding like a sour crop....my grand daughters had fed them a bunch of leaves earlier that day, maybe that wasn't a good idea