i think my bantom is frezeing to death! am i doing things rite?

[Flock Runner]

i went out to feed my birds and while everyone was running around all happy and full my bantom was standing there with all her feathers puffed out. when i pucked her up she just slumped in my hand. i thought she was dead! i braught her inside, set her on a heating pad, and blew her warm with a hair dryer. she's ok now but from now on, over the winter she's staying in the shed over night. my coop isn't quite adequet because i am makeing a new one in the spring so everything is temporary. anything else i should do?

 

[stormylady]

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I think your doing the right thing, my silkies are doing fine outside but I def. wouldn't put my less feathered seabrights out there, I say trust your instincts. How warm is the shed? I'm thinking that if it is very cold out there, I either would keep her in the house with ya, or get her back outside in the shed as quickly as you can, because it will be much harder for her if she gets use to being warm and then put back out. Just my opinion though. Good luck with her!

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

X2

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

Oh, by the way... this is a Silkie, Bantam? How old? How cold is it getting? Maybe put a thermometer out in the "coop". How is the rest of the flock? As long as they are dry, protected from the wind, etc... Chickens have a down blanket on -- feather jacket. There are people here that have "well insulated" coops and only turn on the heater when it gets to - 20, that's 20 below 0.
If it's not insulated well, not warm enough ... how about getting a good thick waterproof tarp to throw over it, and tie it down with tent stakes? (Make sure it can't get puddles of rain on it.. that it's sloaped so as to not "hold" rain or snow.)

Could there be something else going on? Can you answer all the other questions ... like: what kind of "nesting" material do you use? How old is the flock? How old is the "sick" one? Have you wormed? What do you feed them? Do they free range? Clean coop, roosts, run -- fresh clean water and food? Could they / she have gotten into moldy food or something toxic? Everyone else doing ok with the weather? How about a heat lamp? Can you, is it safe to put a brooder light with a heat lamp (bulb) in it into the coop, it would have to stay dry and have electricity available.

Do keep a sick and weak bird separate and isolated from the rest -- until they are well and strong, and until you find out what is going on with her. Is she the only Silkie Bantam you have?

I'm sorry she is sickly... best of luck... you might let her out, put her with the flock during the day if she is well. And, if it's warm enough.

Take care...

 

[Flock Runner]

this is a silver sebret. it's probably aroung 35 degrees and the shed is heated. she has straw, food, water, and a perch but she is having a hard time balencing herself. is this normal? the perch is pretty small so maybe she just keeps sliding off it. the thing that worries me is she isn't talking or making any noise. this is worse than the time a had to keep her inside after a dog atack which is a totally other story that she recovered completely from. the whole other flock including the ducks and the turkey are doing fine and she's my only bantom. she is still juvinile, about 9-10 months, and she seems to always be cold. in my new coop, i'm going to have a section with a heat lamp just for her in the winter.

 

[stormylady]

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You might want to give her a roost the size that she is used to using that might help, Is she still fluffed up? If she does alright on the new roost and is not fluffed up I would think she is just trying to sleep? Sounds like she had a pretty rough day, also if she is alone she might just not have anybody to talk too (friend wise) after the "Goodnight John Boy" thing mine goes through when the first go in for the night mine are totally quiet too. My 3 sebrights have a tree limb about 2inches around and works just about perfect for there little feet. You said she had food and water but have you seen her drink or eat anything since you brought her in?? If not you might want to fix her alittle yogurt or warm milk soaked bread so she will have something to use as energy to help keep herself warm tonight.

 

[Joycats]

I put a 250 watt red heat lamp over one roost so my birds can choose to sleep under the heat or not. I do this in the coop with my oldest birds. They use the heat, they're always piled up under that heat lamp. I will also use a heat lamp for my bantams, silkies etc. when the temps get real low like tonight. It's dropping into the low 20's here tonight. A little heat makes a big difference sometimes. Especially if the coop isn't tight enough to hold the heat from the birds or if there are only a few birds or smaller birds not producing alot of heat on their own.

 

[rancher hicks]

If you have not, you might want to research the breed. Some are not good in the cold weather areas and need special attention. If your coop has a lot drafty spaces you might consider covering it with plastic. Clear plastic drop cloth are generally cheap and make good wind breaks. I use them on my runs in the winter.

 

[stormylady]

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Very Nice!

 

[Flock Runner]

OMG!!! i checked teh thermo. and it's getting colder than 10 degrees! considering she's a sebret, it's pretty cold out.
today i tried putting her back w/ her buddies but it took less than 10 minutes before she was acting wierd again standing in the middle of the coop starting to puff out. i've seen my birds puff up their feathers to keep warm before but this was different. knd of like goosebump on a chicken but the rest of her body wouldn't move. i brought her back in the shed but i'll find a place to set up a pen where she can go for a little bit each day. at least she's eating and drinking, and finally talking to me.