Silkie thread!

[BarnGoddess01]

Hey, was wondering if any of you have had any experience with this. My silkie roo has been losing his ability to stand over the last week and can no longer stay on his feet. He can balance on his belly but usually ends up falling forward or backward eventually. I usually find him sprawled on his stomach. When I hold him in the standing position he kicks against the ground like a baby in a bouncy chair. He wants to stand, but it's as if his hips aren't strong enough.

I looked into Vit E deficiency and have added sunflower seeds to his feed and vitamins to his water to increase his intake of vit E. If this is what it is, how long will it take to reverse it?

If that isn't what it is, are there any other ideas? He has no other obvious symptoms.

How old is he?

 

[Hawkeye95]

He has been "down" for 3 days now and I noticed he stopped roosting about 3 weeks ago. It only accelerated quickly within the last week from being a little wobbly to being down on his legs.

I sat and watched him in the coop today and he wobbles back and forth and kind of scoots his legs lick he wants to walk, but he can't hold himself up. He was also shaking his head quite a bit but I can't tell if that's because he keeps getting shavings in his face, he's having trouble preening, or if that's a symptom as well.

No obvious signs of injury, he only lives with one hen, and those are the only symptoms I noticed. He crows from his spot and is eating and drinking ok, but has been less interested since his only coopmate has been sitting on eggs for the past 18 days. He flaps his wings and from what I can tell they don't look droopy aside from the normal "blech it's hot" stance. Poop looked normal as well.

Are you sure you've checked him over REALLY well for parasites? He sounds like he's dying. The head shaking is often related to mites. Look around his vent-- and check the skin CAREFULLY around that area. If there are white crusts around there, or even scabs, you have mites or lice, or both! Dust him with Seven Dust-- this I'd do even if I didn't see them, because it won't hurt him. Ruffle his feathers back so that when you dust him, the dust will have contact with his skin. I put it all around their neck, back and under the wings-- don't forget under the wings! I'll even take a pinch and put a bit into the crest and fluff it in. BTW, if you don't have Seven Dust, you can use the Hartz Puppy Flea and Tick powder to sprinkle on him. That will kill mites and lice, too.

When was the last time you wormed him?? He could just be eaten up and he may still not make it. But if you get on it fast, maybe he can pull thru... that is, IF parasites are his issue. But that would be my guess. I'd start giving him sugar and electrolytes into his water too, to keep up his strength and try to perk him up a bit.

 

[Hawkeye95]

I think I might have to make a sling for my little guy. He's having trouble staying off his chest and it's making his breathing weird. I propped him up in the corner of a crate lined with a towel and he immediately started taking food out of my hand. I think I'm just gonna put the crate in the coop for now.

OH-- and after you dust him and worm him, then I'd start him on some better food-- eggs, yogurt, etc.. Something with good protein. Does he feel like he's lost weight?? If he's in the crate, put the sugar and electrolytes in his water. And after you do any kind of worming or antibiotics, I ALWAYS replace their natural inner bacteria with probiotics. This is what I use, and it contains great vitamins like Vit E, among a plethora of others, so you won't have to use anything else. I bought my probiotics/vitamins at TSC for $11 for this tub. It's for goats, but will work perfectly to restore him while you treat him. You can put it in his water or top dress his food- which ever he handles the best. If his poop is loose-- this will stop that, too.

 

[Debbi]

Just out of curiousity, does this roo have a vaulted skull?? Any chance he tried to get cozy with your hen, (I believe you said she was the only bird in with him, and she is broody?), and she gave him a good peck on the head? Usually, if that happens, they display wry neck symptoms for spells, (I have a hen that does this due to a peck on her head), but maybe it affects different birds differently? Just a thought...

 

[skyl3r]

here u go see the size diffrence between these 2 also how old are urs these two are both 4 weeks old the diffrence between size is only gina get greater as they grow

Sager, you made me feel sooo much better. Someone told me that they had a chick like our (runt) and they usually just die one day. So everyone morning I run out to make sure its still alive! We just love them to death and don't want anything to happen to them, but it really is time for them to go outside. They are making a mess of our house. We were so scared to put the lil one outside thou. What do you think?

 

[skyl3r]

When was the last time you wormed him??

You just brought up an interesting topic. I had never thought about this. When are we supposed to worm chickens? Is there a health plan for chickens. Like our horses get vaccinations yearly and wormed every 6months will alternating wormers.

 

[Hawkeye95]

You just brought up an interesting topic. I had never thought about this. When are we supposed to worm chickens? Is there a health plan for chickens. Like our horses get vaccinations yearly and wormed every 6months will alternating wormers.

I worm during molt, since they aren't laying during that time anyway, but you can worm anytime. Usually twice a year. Spring and Fall. But probably even once a year is fine, too. You'll get advocates for all kinds of plans. Just figure out what works for you and understand that there is supposed to be an egg withdrawal during that time, too. Usually about 2 weeks.


ETA-- yeah, I worm my horses every 3 months, actually, but that's because we have a pond on the back pasture they can get down into and we have more troubles with it. But yeah, worming is a good idea, and alternating an even better! I only buy that really, really expensive one for my horses once a year. The rest I use the regular Ivermectin.

 

[sager:)silkies]

Sager, you made me feel sooo much better. Someone told me that they had a chick like our (runt) and they usually just die one day. So everyone morning I run out to make sure its still alive! We just love them to death and don't want anything to happen to them, but it really is time for them to go outside. They are making a mess of our house. We were so scared to put the lil one outside thou. What do you think?

there are alot of factors how old are the 2 chicks also how warm is it out were u live another thing is how warm is ur coop also if ur putting them out with bigger birds make sure u got a spot were only the little chicks can get so the bigger birds cant pick on them but in my experince the bigger birds dont pick on the little ones to much they normally give them a light peck when there eating or drinking but thats just the pecking order there just letting the chicks kniw that i eat and drink first.

 

[sager:)silkies]

there are alot of factors how old are the 2 chicks also how warm is it out were u live another thing is how warm is ur coop also if ur putting them out with bigger birds make sure u got a spot were only the little chicks can get so the bigger birds cant pick on them but in my experince the bigger birds dont pick on the little ones to much they normally give them a light peck when there eating or drinking but thats just the pecking order there just letting the chicks kniw that i eat and drink first.

o just went back and checked and urs are 7 weeks ok i normally keep my chicks seperated untill 8 weeks old so they can eat the medicated chick starter
to give them a strong start also so my adult birds cant eat the chicks starter thats why u seen them on the laundry machine i keep most of my younger chicks in the basement which is gina change when i get back from germany cause me and my parents are making a new coop which will have chick pens, and breeding pens cant wait

 

[sager:)silkies]

Sager, you made me feel sooo much better. Someone told me that they had a chick like our (runt) and they usually just die one day. So everyone morning I run out to make sure its still alive! We just love them to death and don't want anything to happen to them, but it really is time for them to go outside. They are making a mess of our house. We were so scared to put the lil one outside thou. What do you think?

ppl are right tho normally the runts dont make it the first week but in my opinion if they make the first month then they are fighters and will live on