Pepper my 4/5 month old Silkie is gone. I am baffled? Maybe someone can help shed some light. I have 12 chickens, 3 (silkie,silkie cross and brahma) never roosted always slept together. We lost the brahma last week due to sour crop. Pepper has been ok, she has never been very active, always come under my feet waiting to be picked up. 2 or 3 days ago my daughter found her laying in the corner of the coop where the brahma would lay from time to time. Today she went out and pepper was was laying next to the ramp in her house, almost like she fell coming down. I went out and she was just sitting there, i moved her a bit to see how see would react, she just sits not moving. So i pick her up, with my hand under her belly, her legs just kind of fall under her hanging. The twitch from time to time. Her eyes were closed then her head starts moving side to side, stretching out her neck, the same side to side. She opened her eyes a few times but for the most part they were closes. I lay her down and she just lays to the side, and thats it. It doesnt sound like Mareks (from what ive read). I cant find anything else that sounded the same. Any thoughts? I really dont want this to go through the flock. It was really fast too, like there were no real symptoms. She never was a big eater (such a small chicken im not surprised). Im rambling now.... Any help would be greatly appreciatted. Beth
If i were you, i would do a kitchen-type necropsy. Cutting open her abdomen may reveal some obvious egg-laying problems, which would be my very first suspicion. Not contagious, just sudden. I'm very sorry for your loss.
Quote:She has already been taken care of so I can't do it a necropsy. She had never started laying. I couldnt feel anything when i examined her but im really not sure what i would be feeling for.
