Silkie Pullet is bone thin, diarrhea, weak!

[Granny Hatchet]

Yeah she doesn't seem to have any injuries, legs seem "ok" but toes curled and she stumbles and falls over. Nothing feels or looks broken. I feel terrible that of course she got sick and couldn't get to her food and water dishes while I was away - when normally every night she sits on me for cuddles so I would have noticed right away on Saturday had I been here. I'm glad she is eating and drinking but no idea what would cause this inability to walk.

Here she is eating:

https://instagram.com/p/BXBgElol-KT/

I imagine theres not a ton of difference between pigeons and chickens when it comes to health problems Do you have vitamins ?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

BTW, I think she is silkie / polish mix.

 

[fruitbrute]

BTW, I think she is silkie / polish mix.

She's actually half silkie half brabanter, I saw the parents, both showbirds coincidentally. The clutch was an accident but they are gorgeous. I am supposed to drive out to MA this weekend to pick up a few more because I love her so much.

 

[fruitbrute]

I imagine theres not a ton of difference between pigeons and chickens when it comes to health problems Do you have vitamins ?

That's what my previous research showed me when I was dealing with the sick gold sebright - seems the only worry was regarding egg laying hens (and I gathered just to toss eggs for 2 months after a course of meds to be safe).
If it was Mareks, wouldn't some others be showing it?

I have 1 hen who I've had for years, the second for a year, then 4 from this spring, and then the new silkie from 5 weeks ago - all were quarantined for 1-2 months before exposure to the other birds. Except the silkie, I waited 3 weeks. Guineas I waited 6 weeks.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

I dont have experience with mereks. If she is ground O then more might be on the way.

 

[fruitbrute]

I dont have experience with mereks. If she is ground O then more might be on the way.

If she was ground zero wouldn't she have shown symptoms sooner? Wouldn't at least one other bird be showing it too by now? Nobody new has been introduced for what, 5 weeks? And she was already 2 months + when I got her. I'm not sure the incubation time for it? The rest of the birds from her clutch are all healthy still. Not saying it *isnt* Mereks... but wondering what else could bring on this stumbling and diarreah? She isn't doing anything weird with her wings or head/neck.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

@Eggcessive

 

[Kiki]

She could be stumbling because she is dehydrated and does not food in her.
Get her some Nutri Drench..it can be given straight to the beak, so you don't have to mess with mixing it.
I'd get her "pep" back before I started just randomly giving her pills.
She need water, preferably with electrolytes and vitamins and food.

 

[Kiki]

How long have you been back home?
How long was she left alone...how many days total were you not there to see what she was eating?

You mentioned she is starting to eat...right?
Try soaking her feed to get more water into her.

 

[fruitbrute]

How long have you been back home?
How long was she left alone...how many days total were you not there to see what she was eating?

You mentioned she is starting to eat...right?
Try soaking her feed to get more water into her.

I got back Monday evening, but didn't let the birds out to the big run yesterday because I wasn't feeling well and it was overcast and I was worried about foxes and the bear.

When I checked on her in the am yesterday, she was sitting quietly looking at me, and had food and I gave her fresh water. Since she is so tame and calm always I didn't think anything of her not getting up. This morning I went to bring her out with the guineas (they always get the big run for an hour or so before the other 5 wander over), that's when I picked her up and realized something was wrong.

I left the house late Friday. She was only alone Sat/Sun and then Monday during the day.

The house wasn't too hot or anything while I was away, there is a fan and AC so the house was probably in the 70s and low 80s (the temp was mild here this weekend).

I'd say she ate maybe a half or 3/4 cup of crumble medicated feed over the 3 days? also she has a "baby cake" and chick grit in her cage (hard to tell how much of the baby cake she ate tho while I was gone).

Since the initial dropper administered water she is eating and drinking on her own totally fine, even though she can't really get up and walk around. I put a shallow ceramic dish of each in front of her and she's sitting up, eating and drinking, acting totally normal if I didn't know she wasn't able to walk around.

(I took away the medicated feed which she was on for 5 weeks, and am giving her the Harrison's organic chicken feed and a little extra high protein chick kibble, non medicated; previously when she was out in the big run the last 2 weeks she was getting treats and scratch and bugs, sprouts, veggies, scraps, etc; at night just her medicated feed).