Silkie Pecking at Air?

[splashie]

Hi Everyone,

Emma (my daughter's pet) was doing great until she ended up in the ducks pool. This was several weeks ago.

She wasn't in there for even a minute before my daughter pulled her out. We brought her into the house and dried her off and warmed her up.

Ever since this incident, she pecks at the air instead of her food. I have to show her where the food is and then she acts like she's starving.

Any ideas? Was the pool incident an non-issue and something else is happening here? I have her on vitamins, but no improvement.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[JennsPeeps]

My understanding on silkies is that their skulls don't completely cover their brains. She may have some slight brain damage from the water.

She does eat, though, just not until she's shown where it is?

Wish I could offer advice or help. It does sound a bit like a brain thing.

Sorry to hear that you and your daughter are going through this. Poor silkie.

 

[silkieluver_07]

How old is the silkie? Maybe its crest is too big to see any of the food. It sounds like it might have some brain damage also. Is this the only problem you have with it? Do you have to show her where her water is also?

 

[splashie]

I kinda thought that it would be a neuro. problem, that I guess would explain the weird behavior.

I did explain to my daughter that Emma might not live. We have her in a small coop right by our house door.

She has a 4 week old silkie baby with her, which seems to be guiding her to the food.

This just started happening today, I can see the two of them out the window while I'm sitting here typing:

Emma seems to hear the baby pecking at the food and then she wonders over, first pecking at air and then uses the sound to guide her closer to the food until she finally finds it.

Emma might have a chance with the little one helping her out!

:

 

[Godsgrl]

Is Emma blind?

 

[splashie]

Emma is approx. 5 mo. old now.

She seems to be able to see, I've tested both her eyes with my wedding ring and she responds no matter which side of the head I put my hand on exposing the ring.

We do have a Rooster (3 yr. old) who is blind in one eye and he also moves his head a little weird, but I always knew why he did it, but that's not the case with Emma.

She also has no problem finding her water, that I have noticed thus far.

 

[Godsgrl]

I'm glad she can see. Good luck with her.

 

[chickenzoo]

It might be possible that she has cloudy film, laseration etc. over her eyes and is pecking at what she believes is floating objects. I've herd of it in other animals. She might need a Vet to look at her eyes. I remember when I had eye surgery, I had some spotty looking deposits on my eyes. It would be very confusing for a bird.