Is this normal?!!!

chickntime

In the Brooder
6 Years
Jun 26, 2013
18
0
24
Is this normal? Do all silkies act different than other chickens or are these particular silkies sick? Here goes... This all started when I found 7 beautiful silkies on Craigslist for 40$ ( I should have thought something was up then). I pick them up and they look great, she delivered them in a spotless cage and their feathers and temperament seemed fine. We get them home and I start to inspect them and I notice all of their toes are growing like they were raised on a slippery surface. Then a couple of their eyes look very odd. I didn't notice it at first because all of the feathers. They didn't look pussy or anything just the skin is like overgrown on 2 of them and one has a growth looking thing on her eyelid making it look very irritated and runny. The others look fine and all of their eyeballs are bright. Next come to find out there are supposedly 4 roosters but only 3 are mature enough to tell. The others I can't see a difference:/ Then there is the fact they act sooo weird!!! Or at least way different than my other chickens. ( I bought them for my mother she has always wanted them since she saw one as a child) so she currently has them except one. Ok back to "weird".. When I go to get them they don't move and even the Roos barely give up a fight. We set them in the grass and they are like a yard nome. They don't move! Seriously in a few hours they may move a couple yards! They scratch and peck maybe a couple times and they eat and drink normal. I looked them over and more than a couple had bad lice. So I tried to remove as much of the larva rice looking things as possible by washing them and clipping really bad clumps off and gave them a good blow dry. After that I dusted them all with poultry garden powder. I have and mom now is feeding them soy free layer feed with acv and DE. And putting electrolyte and vit in their water. I sent all the chickens with my mom to their new home after I decided it was just the way silkies acted because I looked for any infections respiratory, eyes, all vents (except of the chicken I kept,get to her later) were clear and healthy after bath and no visible worms in poo and poo looked fine. But while they were here I noticed they smelled different like a stinky sweet smell I don't know if its just because of the different feather type or their poo but I have 12 regular chickens and they don't smell at all. Ok so the one silkie I kept for my mom I put in isolation because she is a mystery to me. First I think she is a hen but the lady who I bought her from said she had no idea that she could normally tell! I pulled her from the group because she wouldn't move or eat or drink unless it was put right in front of her. She did funny movements with her head and she stayed puffed up, she even looked lame her legs laid sprawled out and I'm pretty sure she had and maybe still has vent gleet. She also had sour crop I think because she had a puffy crop and it made funny gurguly noises when u barely pressed on it we turned her upside down and vomit like stuff came out and she seemed a little happier and a little more active until she ate again. So I put her on a whey boiled egg and apple sauce diet for about 4 days to a week. Now I give her whey on layer feed. She stands up now but only comes out of her box 2 times a day (I just have a laying box out in the grass with a makeshift fence around it). I was hoping she would buck up and I could send her with my mom but now I'm wondering if she is just a broody hen. It was supposed to be a very short term stay so I didn't even put any bedding in the box. She roosted on the entrance for the first 2 days anyway I walked out there yesterday and there are feathers everywhere! Is she dieing some slow horrible death or is she just a slightly sick broody chicken? Her eye skin is weird around them too. It looks like its trying to just grow together but like I said no infection it kinda looks like a birth defect. Her vent was nasty caked with yeasty looking stuff that wouldn't wash off without pulling off skin so I just put gentian violet all over it. Ok last thing back to the rest of the flock. My mom texted me today and asked if it was normal for them to still be in the coop during the day!? I don't know about other people's chickens but mine only are in theirs at night. I told her it was not normal but have no idea why they would be acting so odd. Should we just cull them all and cop it up to a learning experience? I'm scared they are just going to infect the coop and my yard with some kind of unknown zombie chicken disease!!!!! ( I know that sounds a little crazy and no I don't believe in zombies but if you saw these poor things you might understand:( I don't know what to do I have a bag of chicken antibiotics but I don't know when is a necessary time to use it. also we gave one rooster away to a rescue guy. So we just need to worry about 6. Please help. I will try and post pictures as soon as my mom sends them!
 
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Can you guys see what I am talking about? It looks weird doesn't it? The white ones eye has some infection looking knot in the bottom lid. Her other eye is like a normal silkie. I feel kinda helpless:/
 
Did I accidentally set this so no one could reply or is everyone as bewildered as me?
 
Did I accidentally set this so no one could reply or is everyone as bewildered as me?
I agree,your silkies are acting strange. I have silkies and they act the same as my orpingtons,very active,love to eat. How are they doing now,any other symptoms? It does look like an eye infection. Silkie with poop caked to vent has to been cleaned off,do not leave it on her vent area will cause skin irritation/infection. Please update with symptoms and how they are acting,eating/drinking,etc.

Worms do not always show up in poop.
 
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I am seeing a swollen eye in most of the pictures which to me might mean a respiratory infection. Also in picture # 6 is the black pupil of the eye irregular or is it round? Mareks disease will sometimes have irregular shaped pupils. If they have respiratory disease they may not be very active. It sounds as though you will have your hands full. Keep these chickens isolated away from any others for at least a month or more to see what else they might have. I might be tempted to return them for free.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies!!!!! Mom says the sickest silkie is fine now if she was sick she is better and if she was just broody she finally gave up. The others are acting the same not super active like my chickens but they come out of the coop in the morning, eat around unenthusiastically during the day, then return to the coop at night :/ their eyes still look EXACTLY the same! Eggcessive I'm pretty sure it's round it would have been a red flag if not. I will get my mom to check again. When I got them I also checked for respiratory infections - well I listened regularly for any sneezing coughing looked for discharge around their noses, funny head movements etc. nothing. The skin around their eyes is the only problem besides their lack of excitement lol. But the skin is really thick all up to their combs and around and on top of their heads like its mutated. So odd. Is it possible they are the only chickens with that problem? I tried googling it but haven't found a pic like it! If I knew what to type in that would help. Could they just be inbred. Sorry if that's a stupid question.
 

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