I know she probably did and I feel horrible I didn't get back out sooner. I have my coop as a converted stall in the barn and most of mine free range. I have been very fortunate to not have predators around and have never lost any at all free ranging. I do have a "silkie playpen" for the more meeker ones that tend to get bullied around so they have some peace from the others and it does work well. They do have a doghouse as well as tarps for cover in rain but the blind girl as well as some others do not know enough to take cover under there so I chose to keep everyone in the coop and barn because of the rain and that is how she wandered off.
We did get alot of rain and we really can't get out of our area yet. I am just glad I stocked up on all the chicken feed and treats before this came! But thankfully how the barn is situated on a slope the chickens stayed nice and dry in the barn and they still had space to run around and not feel so cooped up during this.
I would think the poly vi sol would have enough of the B vitamins. I would add the vitamin E & selenium though. I had a silkie girl that had wry neck and I gave her the vitamin E & poly vi sol and she did recover. It was later I had seen to also add selenium. I also gave her metacam which is an anti-inflammatory I had on hand that was prescribed by a vet for another chicken. I do see it can be safe to give prednisone to a chicken to help decrease any swelling if you would happen to have any or if a vet can write a script for you. I do know the prednisone is one of the cheaper meds at
walmart and you can also get the vitamins there too. The vitamin E comes in a liquid capsule and I just cut the tip of it off and squirted it in some mash I had made up for her which was just chicken feed moistened with water with the added vitamins. I make it slightly on the runny side to help get liquids into also. I gave her one capsule in a days worth of mash.
Here is some dosage information I had found for you from another post and I hope it helps.
Twice a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
Once a day
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)
For the second week I give
Once a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
Every other day
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)
For the following weeks I give
Once a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
Every third day
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)
Do not abruptly stop prednisone, the swelling rebounds, decrease dose
gradually.
Vitamin E recovery can be slow; continue the vitamin E for several weeks at
least.
You can get the prednisone from a vet; just describe the problem of
swelling in
the brain probably due to injury. Yes Silkies' brains do stick out through a
hole on the top of the skull.
You can get the vitamin E, selenium, and vitamin B complex or liquid
vitamins at
any pharmacy.
To get prednisone, print the pictures at
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/HoleInHead.html
and take them to a vet. (for those unable to access this article, Alan has generously given his permission to repost the article/photos below)
