Silkie not eating, wandering aimlessly after environment change.

[chickengrapes]

I was hoping someone might have some recommendations for me. I have a 17 week silkie. She was hatched and raised with her brothers and sisters here. She was temporarily adopted by a neighbor with other chickens. She went last Saturday evening and was returned to me last night because she wasn't eating or moving. So, gone from my house around 6 days. I have no idea when she stopped eating. But when she refused figs they brought her back to me. She has definitely lost weight and her crop is empty.

She was a very healthy chicken with a tight bond with one other chicken here. We have assumed she was missing her family and not transitioning well.

So, she's back with me. She has spent the time roaming around the yard aimlessly, chattering. Pays no attention to her flock mates and is not eating. I am syringe feeding her vitamin enriched water with electrolytes and probiotics to keep her hydrated with some nutrition to help her get through this. I feed her this until I can feel a nice little bubble of water in her crop. I don't know what else to do but continue this until she's eating. Anyone have any suggestions at all on how to manage this? She's a beautiful, sweet, glowing black silkie and my absolute favorite. I cannot stand the idea of losing her. Any and all care advice would be so appreciated. Thank you, thank you!

 

[chickengrapes]

I know it's been a while since I posted on daisy, but I wanted to give the final outcome. She is doing great! Back to normal functioning with no assistance from me. She made it through!!!

 

[chickengrapes]

I just wanted to update on my little Daisy. She is starting to consistently eat on her own! We've gone a few days now without me feeding her. And, she's starting to be friends again with the others. She is moving around much more aware and I haven't had to go running out to save her from just standing by herself in the open as often.

So, all of your help got her through this!!! I hesitate to be too excited, but all news is good right now. Thank you so much for the time you guys spent helping!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you so much for figuring that out for me!

Well, I had help on that one! So a big thank you to @casportpony

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Stress can bring on illness. Have you given her a good looking over? Can she see? Do you have any birds that she was raised with yet?

 

[chickengrapes]

She just pooped for me and it is just water. Slight bit of white marbled in the clear liquid. She was resting normally when I got her up to give her more water and vitamins. She is doing a bobblehead like move with her head that is new. But she is preening herself. I am giving her rooster booster brand poultry cell in her water, is this enough b vitamins? I do not have b complex in addition to that. What is the correct vitamin b product for me to purchase. I do have vitamin e and I'm working on getting it in her now. Thank you for helping !

 

[casportpony]

Please accept my apology, I think I made an error. The dose should be 1/10th a pack, not 1/5th.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you for the update. I'm glad it's a bit of good news.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would give her 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex.
What does her poop look like?

Get her hydrated, then see if she will eat some wet chick starter with bits of egg mixed in.
Not sure what happened to this sweet girl, but she may have suffered some trauma or possibly being "new" to the other home she didn't eat/drink well and just needs to be built back up.
Glad you went and got her, hopefully with your attention she will bounce back, keep us posted.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok. Thank you! I'm giving her scrabbled egg mash right now. Is it possible that she doesn't know how to eat anymore. She is pecking at the ground. She got a good taste of it from my fingers and I swear she has no idea how to find and eat it. I think she wants to eat independently. She is being very resistant to any syringe water.

Sorry, that probably sounds really dumb. But It just looks like shes searching for the food and is instead just walking all over it.

No, that doesn't sound dumb, it may actually be a clue there - sounds like she's not seeing well or may have a neurological issue.
If feathers are covering her eyes, try trimming those.
Do you have a bright colored small bowl? Put some wet mash and the egg in it, but raise it off the floor to where it's about breast high.
Same with the water dish.

I'm wondering if she can't see, if she may have suffered trauma (vaulted skull and all) or it may be neurological (the vitamins you are giving may help). Marek's would be another thing to consider, but what you are doing right now is the only thing I know of to do since there's no real 'treatment' for that.

Can you get some photos of her and her poop?