Silkie not herself

[MezVee]

Hi Everyone,

I've been looking after the schools chickens over the Christmas Holiday period.
Over the past few weeks I noticed the Silkie was staying in the coup during the day and not scratching around the backyard like the rest of the chickens.

Suspecting that she couldn't see due to her fluffy head, I gave her a haircut. After this she seemed to pick up, started grazing around the backyard with the other chickens and making her usual happy sounds.

Then after a week or so, she started to get quiet again and huddle under the fig tree in the darkest corner of the chicken coupe.

Then I noticed that when I was feeding them their daily greens, she would come out, but merely walk over the food like she couldn't see it. And eventually have a half hearted peck at the lettuce but with her head tilted to the side.

Yesterday I returned her to the school and the teacher (her carer there) rang me today concerned. She said she was completely withdrawn, standing on her own to the point where she could be picked up without any resistance at all.

I'm a bit of a novice with chickens, having only 3 bantams of my own, and I was hoping someone here could give me any ideas on what might be wrong.

I'm about to head over now with some watermelon, scrambled egg, lice treatment, my chickens feed (which she likes) and a pair of scissors. I'm hoping I can single something out.

Thanks guys,

Mez

 

[laturcotte1]

My Silkies seem to walk over their food also. One laid eggs and pooped all over herself I had to bring her in and clean her and realized she just couldn't see anything. Someone told me to lay her on her back and pluck the feathers from around her eyes. I couldn't do it but I did trim them. You really need two people one to hold one to trim.