Is my silkie dying?

[thepouts]

Have not been vaccinated for marked I d never heard of it

 

[bowen012]

This sounds exactly like a friend's Silkie. He's actually only had it a week as of Saturday but the symptoms sounds strikingly similar. He decided to euthanize her yesterday after a week of intensive vitamin therapy and dusting for mites/lice/etc. She's currently undergoing a necropsy (for fear of Marek's) but won't know anything until next week. His SIlkie was allegedly only a 'couple of months' old but not certain of the age. I'll post here with the results of the necropsy; hopefully your Silkie is still alive and the information is relevant and helpful.

In the interim; it may be to your benefit to try vitamin therapy. Vitamin B deficiency posisbly. When you hold your silkie, does she have any weight to her or is she really skinny/bony?

 

[Eggcessive]

The crop is just below the neck on the right side of the chest--a little balloon-shaped organ that stores the food. It should be full at night and empty in the morning after they sleep. You might check into having your chick autopsied by your state vet if she dies, so that you know whether or not it is mareks. I kind of doubt it, but it is contagious to other chickens, and you might find out what she did die of. Most states have some university or other state lab and sometimes they charge a fee.

 

[ten chicks]

We've never had chickens before I don't even know what a crop is? I don't know which poo is hers?

By stumbling I mean she will fall over when walking around and can't get up and flaps around. She walks very slowly.

I feel way put of my depth.

She gets upset if we try to pick her up. When DH picked her up and put her down again she just fell to her left side and lay there on the brooder.

She was at the bottom of the pecking order i guess. always kept out of things. but I've never seen anyone be mean to her until today when our rooster pecked her. Most of my chicks have become roos I don't have a head hen.

Thanks for trying to help...

Ok, you need to know these things, The crop is located at the base of neck against the breast to the right of center. After a chicken has eaten,crop is full you can feel it (looks like a small ball) After food is digested,crop is small and empty. Look at her crop,feel if it is large,hard,soft. Look at your other chicken,feel their crops,so you know what you are looking for. As for her poop,do you have her separated,(i would if she is ill,bring her into house in cage so you can observe her)if so look at her poop. Check her vent,is everything looking normal?

 

[thepouts]

Ok thank you. I will go and check all of these things.

I think she feels a little boney but im not sure I have no hens to compare her to as my other silkies have started crowing. And they are bigger than her. She was my only girl so far. Very sad.

Bowen if you could let me know the outcome that would be really helpful although I think it will be to late for cookie

 

[ten chicks]

Ok thank you. I will go and check all of these things.

I think she feels a little boney but im not sure I have no hens to compare her to as my other silkies have started crowing. And they are bigger than her. She was my only girl so far. Very sad.

Bowen if you could let me know the outcome that would be really helpful although I think it will be to late for cookie

Bring her inside. You need to observe her,try and get her to eat/drink. Vitamin E and Selenium deficiency can occur in silkies, one of the first symptoms is unable to stand properly. You can add vitamins to her diet to correct this. You need to have some idea as to what is wrong with her, in case it affects your other chickens.

 

[Haunted55]

As all of the others are roos it could be she was getting jumped on and bumped because, let's face it...roosters don't play quietly. I am watching my new silkie roos go at each other playing and if a female gets in the way, she is being pushed and shoved or even jumped on. Your bird needs heat, the vitamins mentioned already and some quiet time away from the boys. She's probably horrified at the treatment she's been getting from the boys. I would have her in my house where I could watch her and give her something else to think about.

Now the fact that this has been going on for a few weeks doesn't sound so good. I still think the vitamins and special care can go a long way in perking her up and possibly getting her back on her feet. But if you aren't seeing results in a few days, 4-5, or she suddenly gives up, take the advice given and have a necropsy done.
http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/statevets.aspx

This link will help you find the people you need to get a hold of. If this does turn out to be Marek's, and it could, you'll want to know now. There is a lot of information here on BYC about this disease and if needed a lot of it can be a real help. In the mean time, work with this girl and see if you can't get her better. Good poultry vitamins, probiotics and I would give her a warm mash made from her feed. Good luck, my fingers are crossed for you and your girl.

 

[realsis]

Great advice in above post! Just wanted to say I'm rooting for your girl and pray she heals soon! Best wishes!

 

[bowen012]

State vet called today and the first findings were of Coccidiosis. This from the gross disection and local tests. Tissue samples and cultures have been sent away to a pathologist to check for other diseases and illnesses. Will report those findings as well. In light of that, it may be to your benefit to start Corid to your silkie as a precaution.

 

[thepouts]

Thanks for the update Bowen.

We decided to put cookie to sleep. She was still stumbling around and the thought of her suffering was to horrible.

She looked as though she had vertigo or was very drunk.

Still trying to come to terms with our decision, I hope it was the right one.