Novice Chicken Mum
Chirping
- Mar 2, 2022
- 31
- 95
- 89
Hi all
I am a new member to this group and looking forward to some advice from experienced chicken raisers. I have Silkies - so would love to hear from Silkie owners too.
I have had chickens for a few years but I am ignorant to so many things. I think I have overall been very lucky so far with happy and healthy chickens - but last couple of years experiencing problems. One chicken was laying so often that she had blow out and we had to put her down.
I would really appreciate some advice - My current 3 chickens are Silkies - and they love to get out and free range our garden and scratch. Even though there is run under their coop they want to get out to the garden and the lawn etc.
With all this rain my kids have been letting them out and I didn't notice until yesterday how wet they were getting. They were scratching around in the mud - even the 6 year old hen
My newest chicken is still young only about 9 months old and she did not shelter from the rain. I came home from work on Tuesday and was shocked how wet she was and she was shivering. She was towel dried and put into the top of their pen which is dry.
She is now so sick and listless, droopy and not really eating or drinking. Tonight my daughter and I took her in bathed her and blow dried her, she had a white scaly colour on her face yesterday but that's gone and i checked legs for mites but legs look ok. Her voice is croaky
So I guess she has a respiratory disease. We gave her 15 mL. of water in a syringe
I put her in a padded dry straw box with a hot water bottle - warm wrapped in a towel and she is sitting on it. She is nice and warm and separated from the others
Any other advice would be welcome - I have broad spectrum antibiotics - should I try those?
Does she have coccidiosis? I haven't seen diarrhoea. She has her eyes half closed and very listless and slow.
Its so sad because we have only had her for 5 months. Three weeks ago she was the picture of health.
It makes me think of all those families and farmers in Australia that have lost livestock due to the floods and even worse - lives and homes - its just awful and so sad. My heart goes out to them
My older chickens are quite tough Silkies and I realise now it was a mistake to let them run around in this rain and mud. My six year old (Partridge -yellow/orange chicken) is very tough and she has survived 2 neighbours dogs attacks 4 years ago. and also poking her eye into the chicken wire a year ago - we thought she would have to be put down (vet said so) but she recovered and still going. Since the dog attack's the fences have been redone and the coup and outer run tightened. 3 layers of protection but my chickens want to explore the garden and the house - they come to the front door and into the house.
I would really like help in diagnosing chicken diseases - its so hard. We have turkeys and birds getting into their food and probably giving them diseases?
Also can anyone recommend foods to help her build up her health. Any treats I can give her to encourage her to eat.
My chickens love corn and rice - I know that's not good for them but I add shell grit to it to help digest and its only a treat.
What can I give my sick chicken that has cold I guess? Mashing up her normal nutritional layer feed with water is not enticing her to eat?
Thanks for your advice
My chicken Maple is the deep red chicken on the right (we have stopped using trays now).
I feel my chickens are pets - so I want to learn how to look after them without vets and how to understand better what is wrong in these moments. When I look at all the diseases they can get I realise we have been lucky mostly - and grateful
My thoughts are with those affected by the floods - hoping for a quick recovery for you all and thinking of all the livestock too.
Thanks for advice and so nice to be on this thread.....
I am a new member to this group and looking forward to some advice from experienced chicken raisers. I have Silkies - so would love to hear from Silkie owners too.
I have had chickens for a few years but I am ignorant to so many things. I think I have overall been very lucky so far with happy and healthy chickens - but last couple of years experiencing problems. One chicken was laying so often that she had blow out and we had to put her down.
I would really appreciate some advice - My current 3 chickens are Silkies - and they love to get out and free range our garden and scratch. Even though there is run under their coop they want to get out to the garden and the lawn etc.
With all this rain my kids have been letting them out and I didn't notice until yesterday how wet they were getting. They were scratching around in the mud - even the 6 year old hen
My newest chicken is still young only about 9 months old and she did not shelter from the rain. I came home from work on Tuesday and was shocked how wet she was and she was shivering. She was towel dried and put into the top of their pen which is dry.
She is now so sick and listless, droopy and not really eating or drinking. Tonight my daughter and I took her in bathed her and blow dried her, she had a white scaly colour on her face yesterday but that's gone and i checked legs for mites but legs look ok. Her voice is croaky
So I guess she has a respiratory disease. We gave her 15 mL. of water in a syringe
I put her in a padded dry straw box with a hot water bottle - warm wrapped in a towel and she is sitting on it. She is nice and warm and separated from the others
Any other advice would be welcome - I have broad spectrum antibiotics - should I try those?
Does she have coccidiosis? I haven't seen diarrhoea. She has her eyes half closed and very listless and slow.
Its so sad because we have only had her for 5 months. Three weeks ago she was the picture of health.
It makes me think of all those families and farmers in Australia that have lost livestock due to the floods and even worse - lives and homes - its just awful and so sad. My heart goes out to them
My older chickens are quite tough Silkies and I realise now it was a mistake to let them run around in this rain and mud. My six year old (Partridge -yellow/orange chicken) is very tough and she has survived 2 neighbours dogs attacks 4 years ago. and also poking her eye into the chicken wire a year ago - we thought she would have to be put down (vet said so) but she recovered and still going. Since the dog attack's the fences have been redone and the coup and outer run tightened. 3 layers of protection but my chickens want to explore the garden and the house - they come to the front door and into the house.
I would really like help in diagnosing chicken diseases - its so hard. We have turkeys and birds getting into their food and probably giving them diseases?
Also can anyone recommend foods to help her build up her health. Any treats I can give her to encourage her to eat.
My chickens love corn and rice - I know that's not good for them but I add shell grit to it to help digest and its only a treat.
What can I give my sick chicken that has cold I guess? Mashing up her normal nutritional layer feed with water is not enticing her to eat?
Thanks for your advice
My chicken Maple is the deep red chicken on the right (we have stopped using trays now).
I feel my chickens are pets - so I want to learn how to look after them without vets and how to understand better what is wrong in these moments. When I look at all the diseases they can get I realise we have been lucky mostly - and grateful
My thoughts are with those affected by the floods - hoping for a quick recovery for you all and thinking of all the livestock too.
Thanks for advice and so nice to be on this thread.....
Welcome to Backyard Chickens. Enjoy your time here! 
