Please help! My Silkie is sick....

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Give her some soft scrambled eggs--they will usually eat that if they are weak. I noticed you said that you changed homes--has that been recent? Sometimes they can be exposed to a new a strain of coccidiosis in the soil when they move to a new yard. The symptoms of coccidiosis are lethargy, puffing up, diarrhea (occasionally, but not always with blood), and poor appetite. Corid or Amprollium would treat that. I live in Ohio with some cold weather in winter, and my silkies always fared well in my unheated coop. While she is sick I would bring her in where there is heat. They were always at the bottom of the pecking order, but I always put food and water inside and outside in multiple areas.

 

[casportpony]

I would keep her there under heat until she improves or doesn't make it. She may just be starving from too much competition. However if it is something else, it will no doubt show itself in the next 24 to 48 hours.

X2. It's amazing what a little heat can do.

-Kathy

 

[MamaNice]

she made it through the night again. she seems to be eating still. i will give her scrambled eggs today. has anyone used keifer before? i read somewhere it was good to crop issues, but since she doesn't have that now are there any other benefits of using keifer for chickens?

 

[TwoCrows]

she made it through the night again. she seems to be eating still. i will give her scrambled eggs today. has anyone used keifer before? i read somewhere it was good to crop issues, but since she doesn't have that now are there any other benefits of using keifer for chickens?

Keifer is a yogurt mixed with other things. It would be easy for her to eat and will probably do her good. Lots of probiotics in it. However it shouldn't be given to birds with crop problems. Dairy products produce mucus which can slow down a sick crop....just plain probiotics would be the better choice if this is the case.

But good to hear she made it thru the night! A bird that is eating and drinking has a far better chance of survival than one that is not. Keep her under the heat today and feed her what she will eat. After feeding eggs, clean up anything she has not eaten so it doesn't spoil.

 

[realsis]

Hope she does better.i raise silkies myself and the breed can be exceptionally docile and easily pecked on by other breeds.is it possible she has been kept from eating by the other chickens picking on her and keeping her away from her food? I would definitely keep her under observation and keep her inside until she gets her weight back up.she can't keep warm with out weight on her and will surely die if put back out in the cold. It might be that she was starved out by the flock. This does happen and silkies being so docile and kind will usually not fight back. Sometimes people are very successful in a mixed flock with silkies and non silkies other times The silkies get picked on terribly And can be starved out by the bigger birds. Also she must have ample weight to regulate her body heat. She was likely freezing due to her thin body. I bring my silkies in for the winter as well like the above poster does. I worry they might freeze. But if she has ample weight she will be able to regulate body temp much better.also when she returns to the flock please make certain they are not starving her out by not letting her eat. I wish you the best and hopefully she will regain her strength and gain weight.keep us posted on how she's doing. God bless.

 

[MamaNice]

"Fluffster" has been in the house for 4 days now. I've been dropper feeding her and she just now started eating and drinking on her own!!! I'm so excited! I've been making a concoction of keifer and scrambled eggs to make sure she was getting lots of good vitamins - the kind I read were good for Wry Neck. For the past 3 days she would just sit in my lap, let me open her mouth and feed her with no fight. Tonight she was fighting back. Woo hoo!

 

[TwoCrows]

Good to hear she is on the mend! This all could have stemmed from the lack of food. Make sure when you take her back out to the coop, she doesn't have to compete for food. Set up several water and feed stations so she isn't intimidated. Get the flock out to free range so she can take advantage of her own space.

The flock will instinctively know she is weak or sick. It is their job to keep the flock safe from predators and disease and will attack her. So keep her inside until she looks completely normal.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[casportpony]

Thanks for the update!

-Kathy