Silkie hen weak and lethargic

[Suzie]

It would be a good idea to treat them with either Sevin dust or Permethryn for lice/mites as a precaution... bedding and nesting boxes should be treated at the same time as the coop and the Silkies.

As she is very sick it may be worthwhile waiting to treat her for any worm infestation until you have offered treatment for lice/mites... you are unlikely to see mites as they tend to appear at night time when the birds are nesting.

Worms are unlikely to be seen in their poop... if ever you do see worms in poop it will be because they are very heavily infested.

 

[suebee]

Thank you so much for replying! She has been making greenish brown droppings for several months but the other symptoms have come recently. They havent laid eggs in awhile. Suebee said to use antibiotics. What antibiotic should I use?

Get Duramycin or similar...write back when you get it so I can tell you how much, meantime dust with 5% sevin. Walmart or Tractor Supply stocks it. Once you get rid of the lice/mites put them on a gentle wormer. I'd start with Wazine...1 teasp. per gallon.

 

[Suzie]

Broodiehens

Well you have some wonderful advice from more experienced people than me... it is now 2.00 am here in France so I am signing off....

Good luck to you and your Silkie!

 

[casportpony]

I forgot to say that she should be inside where it's warm. You should also weigh her as any further weight loss is not good.

-Kathy

 

[bantygirl]

I just had 2 silkies die and my roo was acting weird, I wormed him gave him sulmet put garlic and DE in his food I also cleaned and sanitized the coop it has been abut a mth now and he is doing great, a week ago I gave him yogurt, he was acting drunk when this all started the hens showed no signs just found them dead, but now he is good purring at me again hopefully he will give me good fertile eggs again. Please don't give up on your silkie they r great birds

 

[bantygirl]

Some people like to use 7 to dust for mites and thats fine, but if u don't see any mites and she is weak use DE it works well and put it in her bedding good luck

 

[cafarmgirl]

I would suggest deworming this bird, well all of your birds, with Valbazen. It works slowly over the course of several days, so if your hens have a heavy infestation of worms it will not result in a big worm kill off all at once and possible toxicity or worm blockages. It will also get rid of all the types of worms she may have and is much more effective then Wazine. There are many types of worms chickens can get and if she has worms other then round worms worming her with Wazine will be useless.

Edited to add: Make sure you do a repeat deworming 10 days after the initial treatment since dewormer's do not kill worm eggs.

 

[broodiehens]

I will deworm them but first Im probably gonna treat the sick one with Duramycin. I need the dosage for that from Suebee. Im getting some sevins dust as well and Im gonna treat the entire coop with it because my new hampshires havent been treated for mites either.

 

[broodiehens]

I forgot to say that the sick silkie can stand up but once she tries to walk she falls down. She has been drinking but she hasnt eaten much.