Sick or Cold?

[Chickens4Life101]

We have a 4 month old silkie, Snowman, who has been acting very strange lately. A few days ago I went into the barn to feed the chickens and I saw Snowman sitting all alone in a corner. (It had just snowed that morning and was very cold!) I picked her up and brought her in my house and warmed her up for about 20 minutes. I did the same thing later that day. Tonight, I went to close the chicken door, and instead of just closing the door, the not-so-smart-silkies don't understand that they need to get themselves into the coop at night. So we have been putting them in ourselves for over 2 months. Every night they sleep in a huddle and wait for us to put them in their coop, but tonight Snowman was once again separated from everyone else laying in a corner. She has never liked the cold, so we figured that she was just getting very cold, but she has just not been acting herself. Do you think she is sick? Please help if you know whats wrong! Thank You!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

We just need to know how cold is cold?

'Snowman' is a 'her'?

I'm so glad I don't have silkies.

 

[Lizzy733]

How is her behavior after being warmed up? Does she start milling around and keeping with the others as normal? If so, you may need to spend some time with the flock to find out what's really going on - if she's being ostracized or bullied.
Otherwise, on the medical side of things, how do her poops look and is she eating\drinking? You may need to separate her to a warm\dry location and keep an eye on her behavior. Is she having balancing or walking issues at all?

My silkie shivers and it doesn't even get freezing here, but I think she's just a wuss.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I do have silkie if she is being alone may have gone broody on you

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you in the beginning placed them inside the coop 24/7 forcing them to stay and sleep inside the coop, so they know where home is? That is what is needed for most young chicks and pullets to train them to go inside at dusk. Do you have a light on inside the coop? It doesn’t have to be that bright or be connected to electric. You can use a solar powered set of string lights with the solar panel ouside. That sometimes makes it more inviting for them to go into rather than a dark coop. There could be some more agressive pullets that they are afraid of as well. Are you training them to roost? So, give us more details and we can help. I had a couple of silkies with my first mixed flock, and I like them, but they are not the most daring or bright little things.

 

[Chickens4Life101]

How is her behavior after being warmed up? Does she start milling around and keeping with the others as normal? If so, you may need to spend some time with the flock to find out what's really going on - if she's being ostracized or bullied.
Otherwise, on the medical side of things, how do her poops look and is she eating\drinking? You may need to separate her to a warm\dry location and keep an eye on her behavior. Is she having balancing or walking issues at all?

My silkie shivers and it doesn't even get freezing here, but I think she's just a wuss.

No, once I put her back outside with the others, she just stood there by the waterer with one of her little friends. Everyone else was eating because I had just filled up their feeder, but snowman just didn't seem interested. She is walking fine. I do not know what her poop looks like. But I am overall very worried about my little girl.

 

[Chickens4Life101]

Have you in the beginning placed them inside the coop 24/7 forcing them to stay and sleep inside the coop, so they know where home is? That is what is needed for most young chicks and pullets to train them to go inside at dusk. Do you have a light on inside the coop? It doesn’t have to be that bright or be connected to electric. You can use a solar powered set of string lights with the solar panel ouside. That sometimes makes it more inviting for them to go into rather than a dark coop. There could be some more agressive pullets that they are afraid of as well. Are you training them to roost? So, give us more details and we can help. I had a couple of silkies with my first mixed flock, and I like them, but they are not the most daring or bright little things.

Yes we have, but silkies just aren't the smartest birds, and just can't figure it out. When we let them roam during the day when they were younger and still were in a brooder, they went back in the brooder at night, but once we took the brooder away, they just don't seem to realize to go into the coop.

 

[Chickens4Life101]

I do have silkie if she is being alone may have gone broody on you

She doesn't lay eggs yet

 

[Eggcessive]

I would get some electrolytes with vitamins from your feed store and get her drinking some water right away. Feed her some chopped scrambled egg and put a little water in her feed. Offer food and water with a little scoop several times a day. A good poultry vitamin/electrolyte is Poultry NutriDrench. Gatorade is okay until you get some.

 

[Chickens4Life101]

I would get some electrolytes with vitamins from your feed store and get her drinking some water right away. Feed her some chopped scrambled egg and put a little water in her feed. Offer food and water with a little scoop several times a day. A good poultry vitamin/electrolyte is Poultry NutriDrench. Gatorade is okay until you get some.

Thank you so much! You have been a huge help!