D'uccle Thread

[misfitmorgan]

that is a hard call, i have two silkies right now that are 'rolling' (their neck/head is curling under-like they are trying to groom their bellies and they then fall foward-it only gets worse if they are stressed, if they relax they will stand stooped but be able to eat/drink)-- and silkies are usually resistant (dont know if it is significant but every one of the 4 silkies that have had symptoms were black), i had one roller last year that got better and was fine-so a mild temporary neurologic symptom. i dont have him anymore but i know they can have relapses. if he does have it and get better the probability of relapse is high, the question is is it mareks? there are other things that can cause that problem, and weaker chicks are shyer and cause some of the issues by hiding. if you could isolate it and offer it food/water without the others it may get better and catch up.

It could also be a lacking niacin or vitamin B...i've had ducklings and chicks act the same way and after a vitamin/mineral powder mixed heavy into their water they straighten right out. i also keep sublingual B complex liquid on hand and add it to their water if i see any issues or sometimes directly into their mouth...since it is sublingual they do not actually have to swallow it. i know the OP said they gave vitamins but are you sure you gave enough? This is what we use..but we got a bigger pack in a foil bag http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/durvet-vitamins--electrolytes-100gm-jar They also have on specifcally for poultry but tractor supply doesnt sell it....its call High Performance Poultry Pak

 

[paris_r]

It could also be a lacking niacin or vitamin B...

who's 'it' are you talking about? my rolling chicks or her weaker one?

 

[misfitmorgan]

who's 'it' are you talking about? my rolling chicks or her weaker one?

Sorry could be either or lol

Btw in your silkie i read somewhere that they have soft skulls and can suffer brain injuries fairly easy which can cause odd syptoms like heads at werid angles or other wonky motor skills issues that can be confused for signs of merck's. Same for polish.

 

[paris_r]

Quote: some of these have the vaulted skulls (misshapen brains?), some dont, but i have a confirmed case of marek's already in a vaccinated young orpington rooster that has 2 tumors already, and 3 adults that were borderline before have had symptoms worsen (and just appear in one nearly year old silkie). by proxy i am breeding for resistance. to help protect my young ones from mareks and fowl pox (which i never had to deal with before i moved to texas!) i keep them indoors. i have a battery brooder, so the chance of injury to their heads are very small. out of 12 orpingtons i got last year as 3 weeks olds, and then vaccinated (late is better than never) i have 2 survivors, and they are healthy and laying. i cannot even remember how many duccles i lost to mareks, some the early neurologic form, none had the skin tumors (dont know about internal tumors), a few to the waisting. many were vaccinated day 1 by the hatchery and my stock was vaccinated later because of staggered hatches- i lost easily 40%, which is more than 'normal' which is why i believe they are susceptible. regional strains of the virus will come into play when you import birds/eggs from other regions where they were resistant to the local strain. i now am hatching out silkies in big numbers and that may be why i am seeing a few. i will add vitamin/electrolyte powder to their water though and see if things improve -the added salts may accommodate for some of the neurological issues.

 

[frannyglass]

My chicks are about 5 weeks now, so I'm wondering what you guys think about their combs? Sorry for the washed out photos, my phone isn't that great.

This is George, who I am positive is a cockerel. His comb is far, far bigger than any of the others and bright pink almost red.



This is Neville. Previously I've been pretty sure he was a cockerel but he's lagging far behind George now. It's kind of hard to tell but his comb is barely colored at all.



This is Frankie, who until recently I would have guessed was a pullet. It's sad, because she's my favorite, but her comb is now seeming fairly pink? Definitely not on the level of George but it still worries me. She's by far the sweetest and friendliest. Sorry for the blur, she would NOT hold still for a second.



Last is Willa, formerly Fitzwilliam. I am pretty positive that if any of them are pullets, she is.



So, do you think I've got three cockerels? George definitely is, but are the others just maybe slightly slower developers? The differences are maybe more obvious in real life, George is so obviously a wee rooster, Willa a pullet (or so I believe) and the others are between but actually far behind George in development.

 

[misfitmorgan]

My chicks are about 5 weeks now, so I'm wondering what you guys think about their combs? Sorry for the washed out photos, my phone isn't that great.

This is George, who I am positive is a cockerel. His comb is far, far bigger than any of the others and bright pink almost red.



This is Neville. Previously I've been pretty sure he was a cockerel but he's lagging far behind George now. It's kind of hard to tell but his comb is barely colored at all.



This is Frankie, who until recently I would have guessed was a pullet. It's sad, because she's my favorite, but her comb is now seeming fairly pink? Definitely not on the level of George but it still worries me. She's by far the sweetest and friendliest. Sorry for the blur, she would NOT hold still for a second.



Last is Willa, formerly Fitzwilliam. I am pretty positive that if any of them are pullets, she is.



So, do you think I've got three cockerels? George definitely is, but are the others just maybe slightly slower developers? The differences are maybe more obvious in real life, George is so obviously a wee rooster, Willa a pullet (or so I believe) and the others are between but actually far behind George in development.

i would say Roo.. .pullet......most likely Roo(waddles are going red)....pullet

 

[scflock]

You might try leting her sit for a few days and then slidding the chicks under her at night..she still may try to kill them though.

I thought about that, but like you said, she may kill them and I wouldn't be there to know it. I will probably introduce the little chicks in the daytime, and if it doesn't go well, wait until they are big enough to hold their own. I generally don't like adding chickens, but I started with a pair, have three hens now, and hoping I get about 4 more. Maybe I will get lucky and get them off the broody

 

[paris_r]

I thought about that, but like you said, she may kill them and I wouldn't be there to know it. I will probably introduce the little chicks in the daytime, and if it doesn't go well, wait until they are big enough to hold their own. I generally don't like adding chickens, but I started with a pair, have three hens now, and hoping I get about 4 more. Maybe I will get lucky and get them off the broody

your worry is one way, i would also worry about the older chicks picking on them and out competing for 'moms' attention. i would wait till they are at least a week old so that the little ones can walk and feed well.

 

[sawade]

Thanks for the thoughts. The vitamin I am giving now is rooster booster, given as directed on the package. I have both the powder and liquid. I think I will separate the little guy from the rest and see if that helps him. I hesitate to cull as the kids have grown attched and are rooting for him every day.

 

[paris_r]

so here is the results of stage 1 of my attempt at cuckoo d'uccles -their mom is a barred cochin, their dad is 'a duccle'-i really dont know which rooster! there is a hen too but she , so far, is black. they both have nice vulture hocks but one looks like it will get a bit of the beard/muff the other not. the hard part will come later to see who got the cushion tail influence. i have many blacks i have hatched, so i will have lots to breed them back to, and then i will get 100% barring. one looks more cochin than the other, but they are less than 2 months old and may change a lot!




here also is a pic of an aggressively friendly brown red. i am thinking by colour pattern it is a hen, but behaviour and comb have me thinking ???