Questions about silkie chicks with vaulted skulls...

[blondie34]

Hello everyone

I've been hatching a few chicks from my favorite silkies and have noticed that the chicks that do not hatch after day 25 and are dead in the shell have vaulted skulls... so obviously I'm thinking the chicks with vaulted skulls have a harder time making it out of the shell ... I read once that chicks with vaulted skulls are more likely to be pullets.. is this true or is that a myth?

thanks!

 

[blondie34]

another observation -- I've had a few silkies hatch with wry neck or crooked neck .. this has happened three times and each of these chicks had vaulted skulls.. is there some correlation or is this just one big coincidence?

 

[loveourbirds]

Hello everyone

I've been hatching a few chicks from my favorite silkies and have noticed that the chicks that do not hatch after day 25 and are dead in the shell have vaulted skulls... so obviously I'm thinking the chicks with vaulted skulls have a harder time making it out of the shell ... I read once that chicks with vaulted skulls are more likely to be pullets.. is this true or is that a myth?

thanks!

they are a weaker chick to begin with because of the vaulted skull, so yes they probably do have a harder time making it out of the shell. as far as vaulted skulls and pullets, I don't know.

another observation -- I've had a few silkies hatch with wry neck or crooked neck .. this has happened three times and each of these chicks had vaulted skulls.. is there some correlation or is this just one big coincidence?

this is very common in vaulted skulls, but can also be a vitamin deficiency. start a vitamin and electrolytes solution to them on hatch day.

here is an article that may help you more:http://chickenjunkie.com/chicken-breeds/silkie-chicken/vaulted-skulls/vaulted-skulls-in-silkies/

 

[blondie34]

they are a weaker chick to begin with because of the vaulted skull, so yes they probably do have a harder time making it out of the shell. as far as vaulted skulls and pullets, I don't know.
this is very common in vaulted skulls, but can also be a vitamin deficiency. start a vitamin and electrolytes solution to them on hatch day.

here is an article that may help you more:http://chickenjunkie.com/chicken-breeds/silkie-chicken/vaulted-skulls/vaulted-skulls-in-silkies/

Interesting, great -- Thank you!

Yes I've got one little silkie chick that hatched yesterday with a vaulted skull and wry neck and have been giving it polyvisol and electrolytes and it's done a complete 180 since it hatched yesterday .. it's crazy what a little bit of baby vitamins and some electrolytes will do! Watching a little chick struggle with wry neck is so heartbreaking!

 

[loveourbirds]

can I ask what you are feeding, it might be as simple as adding or changing something.

 

[blondie34]

can I ask what you are feeding, it might be as simple as adding or changing something.

Absolutely -- the Silkies are on Omego 3 Purina Laying Pellets.. I started them on this last month.. the bag is almost gone and I'm not sure if I'll be repurchasing .. I think they liked their regular laying crumble better! Do you think they need a flock block or some kind of vitamin supplement?

 

[loveourbirds]

a flock or mineral block would probably do them a lot of good. im trying to find a thread that I have misplaced LOL. I think its vitamin e that they are lacking, if you can get ahold of some wheat and mix with your layer crumble it would probably help. we special mix our feed here for nutrition reasons, but our birds are also caged; if you let your birds "free range" they do better naturally.

another thing that may help is calf manna. some feed stores sell it by the pound, you wont need much. when I used it in the feed I mixed 6 lbs to 50lbs of feed.

is grand rapids up by lake erie, a half hour or so from Toledo? if your close enough and want to you are welcome to come to my farm, I can show you some feeds and techniques that may help you a little. I am an hour straight south of Columbus.

 

[blondie34]

a flock or mineral block would probably do them a lot of good. im trying to find a thread that I have misplaced LOL. I think its vitamin e that they are lacking, if you can get ahold of some wheat and mix with your layer crumble it would probably help. we special mix our feed here for nutrition reasons, but our birds are also caged; if you let your birds "free range" they do better naturally.

another thing that may help is calf manna. some feed stores sell it by the pound, you wont need much. when I used it in the feed I mixed 6 lbs to 50lbs of feed.

is grand rapids up by lake erie, a half hour or so from Toledo? if your close enough and want to you are welcome to come to my farm, I can show you some feeds and techniques that may help you a little. I am an hour straight south of Columbus.

Interesting... thank you very much! I've been thinking about a flock block so I'll probably try that.. all of our birds except for the Silkies free range (we have a barn cat and the other chickens can defend themselves/run away fast but the silkies are too docile to know to run from the cat)

and yes GR is by Toledo.. it's on the Maumee river.. if we're ever down your way anytime soon I may take you up on that offer!

Thank you!

 

[loveourbirds]

I just asked my wife, I had it a little wrong. shes from Toledo/Waterville. her parents used to own a campground in grand rapids. sunset cove is what they called it then, im not sure about now.

on the flock block, one thing that no one tells you. they usually contain a lot of sorghum, this will increase the broodiness slightly in some birds. that may slow them down on laying a bit.

 

[blondie34]

I just asked my wife, I had it a little wrong. shes from Toledo/Waterville. her parents used to own a campground in grand rapids. sunset cove is what they called it then, im not sure about now.

on the flock block, one thing that no one tells you. they usually contain a lot of sorghum, this will increase the broodiness slightly in some birds. that may slow them down on laying a bit.

Waterville?! We could've practically been neighbors I wonder what campground that is.. Now we have Wagners and the Public Camping by Mary Jane Thurstin Park..

Very interesting with the flock block .. I don't sell my eggs so I don't mind if laying slows a little bit so that'll probably be the route I take. Thank you very much for all of your help!