silkie pullet doesn't move much since I bought her

[ThePolishPrincess]

Maybe she needs some time to adjust to her new surroundings? It might take more than a week. I have two Silkies, one roo and one hen, who don't STOP moving!

Or maybe she'd like some girl company? Try giving her some fun treats, like a head of letuce, and tie it to a string and hang it from something? Maybe she's depressed? Or simply, she just isn't that lively?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
You pluck the feathers if you want them to start growing back. You trim the feathers if you dont want the feathers to grow back until she molts.

 

[silkeysandra]

wow! You, know, she might be blind. If you move your hand toward her face, will she move or notice? Try to do it so she cant feel the air whosh past her. I know of a lady who noticed an owl sitting on a post for days. She finally called the Wildlife folks and they came to get him, saying somehow he got blind.
This may be too stupid to try, but I know they make chicken leads and halters. What about trying that out and getting her to walk a little with you. If she is blind, she may learn to walk beside you. Our old dog is blind and bumbles about the house fine, but gets afraid sometimes outside and we have to go get him. He is fine going anywhere with his leash on, tho.
You could try coaxing her with something yummy/smelly to eat. When my silkeys go broody, that is what they do, just sit there. I have to boot them a little on their fuzzy little butts to get them to go outside to play and hunt bugs. Once they are outside, then it is like they forget. Right now i have one who has been this way since right after Christmas!!!!
I've tried all the remedies and so far nothing has worked. I may try putting her in a different cage--one not ever with a chicken in it--and see it the oddness bumps her out of it.
My bet tho is that your little girl is blind. She will make a great arm chickey!!!! Just snaffle her up in your arms and take her wherever!!! You'll be the Paris Hilton of the Chickey crowd! too cool!!!

 

[lena]

Quote:
You know what I think -maybe she went broody?!She already had couple of eggs!
She is not blind, I can tell it! May be her feathers don't let her to see much,
but when I put staff " under her nose"-toys, food, news paper-she pecks it. So it is not smell of food ,but shapes, colors makes her curious!
I was trying to find out if this is sign of some kind of sickness or what!
Now, I think, ether she went broody (how to tell for sure?) or she had so many feathers around her eyes all her life (it was untouched, when I get her)
she didn't learn how to walk freely and afraid now!
But why she is ignoring the rooster’s attention! He was, even, jumping at her, like he is going to fight with her! She was cool as a stone, didn't move a step!

 

[JennsPeeps]

Our banty cochin doesn't move much. DBF calls her a "lawn ornament".

Here she is, doing her thing:


When we first got her, she didn't budge an inch. We were afraid she couldn't walk.

Then she saw the cats, freaked out, and introduced us to our first warning bok bok bogawks.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Lawn Ornament!

I have to remember that if any of my future cresteds doesn't move much! That's hysterical! Now I'm hoping for a very unlively bird!

 

[lena]

Quote:
You know what I think -maybe she went broody?!She already had couple of eggs!
She is not blind, I can tell it! May be her feathers don't let her to see much,
but when I put staff " under her nose"-toys, food, news paper-she pecks it. So it is not smell of food ,but shapes, colors makes her curious!
I was trying to find out if this is sign of some kind of sickness or what!
Now, I think, ether she went broody (how to tell for sure?) or she had so many feathers around her eyes all her life (it was untouched, when I get her)
she didn't learn how to walk freely and afraid now!
But why she is ignoring the rooster’s attention! He was, even, jumping at her, like he is going to fight with her! She was cool as a stone, didn't move a step!

 

[chickenannie]

Fascinating. I think show silkies are like that, for whatever reason. Maybe you'll have to 'train' her to move more, if that's what you want.

Maybe when you breed for certain physical qualities over and over, the "smartness" or other typical genes are getting left out. Just a thought. I read once that as draft horses were bred for larger and larger sizes, they got dumber and dumber. Now they're going back to slightly smaller draft horses, but smarter ones.

 

[PortageGirl]

When they're broody the set on a nest, not stand in place. Guess she's just a silky!

 

[edladd]

Ya, we have a silkie that is really lazy too

She comes out in the morning and strolls about for a bit, then heads back to bed for a while. I'd bet she'd sit still all day if the other hens let her, but they chase her a lot.