Lethargic Silkies

[JaiesFluffyButts]

This morning has been rough, upon checking on my silkies and doing our routine. I immediately saw two dead; one was obvious is had been killed. However, there was no signs on the second one and I was unable to revive it. Two of my hens met me at the door and seemed distraught but healthy and okay nonetheless. Once I tended to the remains and was checking on the others I immediately noticed something was wrong. One hen was kind of laying on her side and a rooster was obviously lethargic and weak. I brought them both in the house and immediately started giving them sugar water and Pedialyte. While I was doing that I realized one was unaccounted for, bundled them up in from of the heater and went back out. I found the unaccounted one in the very back on the brooder box and appeared to be sleeping. I had a bad feeling especially when it wasn't responding to my voice and crawled in to get it out. I did the exact same thing with it as the previous two. However, while I was on its second syringe of Pedialyte it looked at me and too it's last breath. I'm very lost on what could have happened or even be the cause of all of this. Any advice and help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Have you introduced any new birds recently?

Also could they have gotten into something toxic, like moldy food?

 

[JaiesFluffyButts]

Have you introduced any new birds recently?

Also could they have gotten into something toxic, like moldy food?

No, I have not introduced any new ones. I'm careful when I do and do quarantine following gradually introducing them. They haven't gotten into anything as I haven't been letting them roam freely as we've had issues with predators. I haven't been comfortable allowing them to free range again just yet

 

[MysteryChicken]

No, I have not introduced any new ones. I'm careful when I do and do quarantine following gradually introducing them. They haven't gotten into anything as I haven't been letting them roam freely as we've had issues with predators. I haven't been comfortable allowing them to free range again just yet

This sounds like either a Disease, or mass poisoning based on the symptoms. Must be something inside the coop.

 

[JaiesFluffyButts]

I agree, I just moved some things around in their coop and noticed whitish bugs their body was almost almond or oval shaped. Could this have anything to do with it? From what I can tell and see they're not on them at least the two that I have brought in. I'm considered moving the other two out of the coop as well and fixing up a makeshift coop on the back porch

 

[MysteryChicken]

I agree, I just moved some things around in their coop and noticed whitish bugs their body was almost almond or oval shaped. Could this have anything to do with it? From what I can tell and see they're not on them at least the two that I have brought in. I'm considered moving the other two out of the coop as well and fixing up a makeshift coop on the back porch

Are you able to get a picture of these bugs for identification? It's possible.

 

[Kiki]

I agree, I just moved some things around in their coop and noticed whitish bugs their body was almost almond or oval shaped. Could this have anything to do with it? From what I can tell and see they're not on them at least the two that I have brought in. I'm considered moving the other two out of the coop as well and fixing up a makeshift coop on the back porch

Lice can kill. They literally suck the life right out of the bird.

Go to your farm store today and get this or pretty much any one of the horse fly sprays.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...permethrin-citronella-spray-1-qt?cm_vc=-10011

 

[JaiesFluffyButts]

Are you able to get a picture of these bugs for identification? It's possible.

 

[JaiesFluffyButts]

Not sure if this will help. I'm not certain this was the original ones that I was referring to. They seemed bigger but could have been my initial reaction

 

[JaiesFluffyButts]

Lice can kill. They literally suck the life right out of the bird.

Go to your farm store today and get this or pretty much any one of the horse fly sprays.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...permethrin-citronella-spray-1-qt?cm_vc=-10011

I will definitely do that. First I need to set up a makeshift coop for the other two on the patio. If it is lice, will bathing them get rid of them and what do I need to do to protect us. Since I've had to bring two of them in the house because of their declining health