- May 28, 2010
- 5
- 0
- 7
I have a 1.5 week old silkie chick who seems to be in a lot of distress -- near constant crying.
She/he has a dirty vent, which keeps getting dirty after cleaning.
The feces ooze out, not squirt, so I don't think this is diarrhea.
This has been going on for a couple days and hasn't passed.
Food -- medicated chick starter from the local feed store, fresh 10lb bags
Water -- well water (it has been analyzed as safe for human consumption by a professional lab)
Additives -- some chicken vitamin and electrolytes added to the drinking water about half the time
Living conditions -- budgie cage with wood shavings on the floor, cleaned daily, in my bathroom tub with a heat lamp nearby (they don't seemed to be chilled, huddling near the light)
The cage-mate (another silkie of same age and source) is doing fine, not crying, and no dirty vent.
I'm new to the chicken scene, so my observations aren't entirely guaranteed to be right -- I've never seen diarrhea in chickens, so I'm guessing what it is like.
The chick doesn't appear to be in imminent danger of expiring, but the little guys probably don't give a whole lot of warning, I'm guessing.
The chick is from a reputable local breeder who is gone for the long weekend.
Thanks,
Jim O'Connor
Kenai, Alaska
She/he has a dirty vent, which keeps getting dirty after cleaning.
The feces ooze out, not squirt, so I don't think this is diarrhea.
This has been going on for a couple days and hasn't passed.
Food -- medicated chick starter from the local feed store, fresh 10lb bags
Water -- well water (it has been analyzed as safe for human consumption by a professional lab)
Additives -- some chicken vitamin and electrolytes added to the drinking water about half the time
Living conditions -- budgie cage with wood shavings on the floor, cleaned daily, in my bathroom tub with a heat lamp nearby (they don't seemed to be chilled, huddling near the light)
The cage-mate (another silkie of same age and source) is doing fine, not crying, and no dirty vent.
I'm new to the chicken scene, so my observations aren't entirely guaranteed to be right -- I've never seen diarrhea in chickens, so I'm guessing what it is like.
The chick doesn't appear to be in imminent danger of expiring, but the little guys probably don't give a whole lot of warning, I'm guessing.
The chick is from a reputable local breeder who is gone for the long weekend.
Thanks,
Jim O'Connor
Kenai, Alaska
