I have had a couple silkie bantam hens hatch some eggs for me. All was going well when i put the hens back with the flock when the babies were old enough, the hens only got pecked at a little and then they were pushed away from the food, you know the regular attitude of a flock with new hens!! Our orange silkie Noodles will sit in the box for hours (not laying eggs yet) and not get up to eat or drink! She will act like she wants the food but then she doesn't jump down to get it!! Also she doesn't lay on eggs she lays in the empty boxes! I picked her up yesterday to feel if she was egg bounds, i felt right behind her legs and i could feel EVERY SINGLE BONE IN HER RUMP AREA (i can put my fingers around her breast bone!!)!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She would not "talk" and would barrely fight me... I brought her in to give her some food and water and she had kind of a hard time walking! She attacked the water bowl until i put water in it... then she would drink and very quickly get out of there! Our other bantam (her sister) would sit by the boxes and wait for Noodles, i would put the food down and she would leave then come back! Noodles sister seems to be fine i just am wondering what could be making her sit there?!~?!?!!?!?!? I took our rooster out of the flock for his health reasons ( was being litterally peaked to death. he had no feathers left on the top of his head and his back) so i don't think the rooster stress could be a problem. Also my rooster has 'given' me three tail feathers in the last week!!
SO my three questions are...
1.What is wrong with my silkie hen and what can i do to help her?
2. What is going on with my roosters tail?
3. Why aren't my silkie hens laying eggs yet (it has been 5 weeks counting laying on hatching eggs)?
Thank you.........
SO my three questions are...
1.What is wrong with my silkie hen and what can i do to help her?
2. What is going on with my roosters tail?
3. Why aren't my silkie hens laying eggs yet (it has been 5 weeks counting laying on hatching eggs)?
Thank you.........
