Sick Silkies- 1+ to 3+ year old silkies having trouble walking all of a sudden

[SilkieChickensLove]

Layer feed isn't a great feed for none high Production breeds. Nor is it good for roosters/cockerels. It's formulated primarily for high Production hybrids/breeds such as Golden Comets, Isa Brown, other Red Sex-link varieties, & Leghorns, just to list a few examples.

With them being silkies my first guess would be a vitamin deficiency. I recommend giving them a good dose of Nutri Drench and seeing if that helps

@Debbie292d Do you have any suggestions?

We do have Nutri drench in the barn- thank you- will try that.
My husband picked up poultry cell & b vitamins so we have bottles of those as well.

 

[SilkieChickensLove]

I myself raise silkies, & rarely have issues.

That is amazing- I need all your advice! What food do you recommend for the silkies? They literally hate every single pellet food we have tried.

 

[nuthatched]

That is amazing- I need all your advice! What food do you recommend for the silkies? They literally hate every single pellet food we have tried.

Get an all flock type of food, maybe a crumble. Leave it, eventually they'll eat it. They're getting spoiled by too many grains and treats.

 

[SilkieChickensLove]

So if it is a nutritional deficiency- we will give them the nutri-drench and what else would you recommend? Should we give the b vitamins or poultry cell also? Would a deficiency affect just some birds like this? I am worried with all the rain we have had recently that it could be botulism or something else that some of them have gotten into. Or with the recent mites- some disease that the rats brought into the coop area. We keep their food locked up every night but even so.

 

[MysteryChicken]

That is amazing- I need all your advice! What food do you recommend for the silkies? They literally hate every single pellet food we have tried.

An All Flock, or Flock Raiser feed. It's formulated for everybody. I supplement calcium in the form of oyster shells in a separate feeder, or container.

 

[SilkieChickensLove]

Get an all flock type of food, maybe a crumble. Leave it, eventually they'll eat it. They're getting spoiled by too many grains and treats.

Do you have a recommended brand or food?

 

[MysteryChicken]

So if it is a nutritional deficiency- we will give them the nutri-drench and what else would you recommend? Should we give the b vitamins or poultry cell also? Would a deficiency affect just some birds like this? I am worried with all the rain we have had recently that it could be botulism or something else that some of them have gotten into. Or with the recent mites- some disease that the rats brought into the coop area. We keep their food locked up every night but even so.

Earlier this year I had 2, 6 month old Silkies come down with Vitamin B2 deficiency. Took about a month too cure for the worst one. I fixed the problem with B2 capsules.

Add poultry Cell to their water daily as a nutrient boost, or as instructed on the bottle. Every day isn't necessary.

 

[SilkieChickensLove]

An All Flock, or Flock Raiser feed. It's formulated for everybody. I supplement calcium in the form of oyster shells in a separate feeder, or container.

Thank you- I will look for that.

 

[SilkieChickensLove]

Earlier this year I had 2, 6 month old Silkies come down with Vitamin B2 deficiency. Took about a month too cure for the worst one.

Were they unable to walk and weak like ours are? What did you do? Supplement with b vitamins?

 

[nuthatched]

Do you have a recommended brand or food?

Selections change from region to region and store to store. You want a nonlayer, all flock type feed, of at least 17% protein.
Even chick feed will be fine. I'd greatly reduce all the extras.