Is my silkie weird or normal?

[gritsar]

My blue silkie Jethro acts like a "normal" chicken, except for the little jumping straight up in the air thing she does when she wants to run fast.
My red silkie Ellie Mae is a bit weird, but I'm not sure if it's just a normal thing for silkies.
She shakes her head quite a bit, walks backwards sometimes and spins around.
Is she normal (for a silkie)?

 

[liz_s]

How long has Ellie Mae been doing that? It doesn't really sound normal...

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Well I do not have silkies - but does Miss EM maybe have some "hair" in her eyes? One of my very puffy muffed EE girls got a bit of muff stuck in her eye and was acting strange until I picked it out, she was shaking her head, walking sideways.


When excited and racing towards me, my silver laced bantam cochins will hop into the air and flap their wings to run faster

they look like flapping popcorn. Is this what Jethro is doing?

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

I have a rooster that walks in circles. Not all the time, but occasionally I will spot him walking in a small circle about 18 inches across. If there is an obstacle, such as a small limb, he will step up and over it. He'll do this maybe a dozen times and then stop. It's kind of like a dog chasing it's tale. Other than that he acts perfectly normal.

It has nothing to do with his environment, either. His pen is about 1000 square feet.

 

[mychookschick]

I don't have silkies either.... BUT, I have observed (

) some chickens that jump up in the air to catch bugs.. It looks funny from a distance (because you can't see the bug) but, when you get up close it looks completely natural!

Just some food for thought...

Mychookschick

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

This thread I found was for ducks, but ? maybe it still holds true? Also you might try some vitamin E in case crookneck is trying to start?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=40345

I don't know- just trying to be helpful. I saw a youtube once of a silkie walking backwards with its neck all twisted up (wry neck).

 

[gritsar]

Jethro's jumping up in the air thing is not catching bugs. She does it when the other chickens run off and leave her. She'll jump straight up and then take off running. I call it her boost button.

Ellie's neck is fine. She just acts a bit retarded. I'll check her eyes tomorrow to see if her hair is getting in them. We've trimmed Jethro's poof, but haven't done El's yet.