Silkie laying on back, conscious, but unable to move

[GoldbachFuzzyButtFarm]

Over the past week and a half, I have lost 4 of my young Silkies all to the same thing. The first three I thought it was them smothering themselves in the box I have for them to go into at night. (backstory, I had them in a brooder, then I moved them to a small coop outside with my other chickens, then once they were big enough I moved them over with the 5 adult silkies. They would hide in the box and only come out when I would let the big outs out to their run. And while in the box they would all huddle in one corner.) I thought they were smothering themselves, so after I had lost 3 I blocked the box off. But now this morning I went outside and I had another one, same thing. I found them all laying on their backs unable to stand or move their heads. Is this a disease? How can I fix this? And is going to eventually take my whole flock if I don't figure it out??

 

[nuthatched]

What do your silkies eat? Any chance they got into mold?

 

[GoldbachFuzzyButtFarm]

What do your silkies eat? Any chance they got into mold?

They eat Ranch Pro 15% egg pellets. I haven't seen any mold anywhere in their coop or run

 

[Debbie292d]

Silkies are sweet, but adult silkies are cruel to younger ones. We don't integrate ours until they are 5 months old. My guess is, they got pecked on their heads.

 

[MysteryChicken]

My guess is, they got pecked on their heads.

Could be true if they're the Vaulted Skulled type.
Though a peck on the head isn't always fatal. Had this happen once to my only Vaulted Skulls Silkie when she was young. She seized, then was fine afterwards.

 

[nuthatched]

They eat Ranch Pro 15% egg pellets. I haven't seen any mold anywhere in their coop or run

How old are they exactly? Silkies need more nutrients than other birds, especially while growing. 15% is pretty poor as far as feed goes. Birds that aren't laying like young ones and males shouldn't eat layer feed, too much calcium, not enough anything else.
Where did you get them? Any new birds?
Any other symptoms?
If its deficiency, you can treat deficiency with feeding them all chick feed and giving the sick birds 400 i.u vitamin E and a third of b complex tablet, Any brand from the grocery store.

 

[Debbie292d]

Could be true if they're the Vaulted Skulled type.
Though a peck on the head isn't always fatal. Had this happen once to my only Vaulted Skulls Silkie when she was young. She seized, then was fine afterwards.

I'm just trying to come up with most logically happened if these were mine. They were alive in a coop with adult chickens, now they're laying there on their backs paralyzed. Just seems to me they're being pecked, heads or elsewhere. It's sad, regardless.

 

[GoldbachFuzzyButtFarm]

How old are they exactly? Silkies need more nutrients than other birds, especially while growing. 15% is pretty poor as far as feed goes. Birds that aren't laying like young ones and males shouldn't eat layer feed, too much calcium, not enough anything else.
Where did you get them? Any new birds?
Any other symptoms?
If its deficiency, you can treat deficiency with feeding them all chick feed and giving the sick birds 400 i.u vitamin E and a third of b complex tablet, Any brand from the grocery store.

They around 4 months old, and I hatched them all from my own silkies eggs. It very well could be the food cause none of thus started until after I moved them

 

[Debbie292d]

They around 4 months old, and I hatched them all from my own silkies eggs. It very well could be the food cause none of thus started until after I moved them

Changing feed to a lesser quality isn't going to kill them in a day or two. Yes, silkies especially should have better feed or supplement that feed with vitamins like Nutra Cell in their water, or just feed them all the chicken starter so they still get that. But still it would take a more than a couple of days with a sudden change in nutrients or lack thereof to actually kill a chicken. I think it's the bullying.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I'm just trying to come up with most logically happened if these were mine. They were alive in a coop with adult chickens, now they're laying there on their backs paralyzed. Just seems to me they're being pecked, heads or elsewhere. It's sad, regardless.

We all are. But head pecking probably ain't the cause.

Could be bad genetics. Some heart attacks result in chickens on their backs.