Silkie thread!

[Jharper]

I have a silkie for almost a year now and I got her when she was 5 months old and she has never been broody. As where my production red from a hatchery that is a year old has. LOL!

 

[alamb1]

I've had chicks hatch 2-3 days late and 1-2 days early even when the others hatch on day 21.

Yes,  especially with a new mother - they get off the eggs more often and it slows down the development.  Just let her do her thing - hopefully she gets it down by instinct and you will soon have a cute chick!

Thank you all so much! This is her first time!

 

[Urchin]

Poor little Thunderhead is still sick. He acts like a normal chicken, but isn't eating much. I've been handfeeding him (which he fights something terrible) and he's on antibiotics. But he has everyone stumped. His poop is clean -- no cocci or worms and the first round of antibiotics didn't do anything, so we're on to something stronger. But after his initial weight drop, it's now steady. I'm trying to get him to gain. If he's going to recover, I think it's going to be a slow, long one. Here's a picture of the little guy resting in the sun in the back yard. I thought maybe a change of scenery might help him. I so hope he makes it.



Then there's Pinto. The tiny eight-week-old silkie who I swear hasn't grown since I got it, but is happy and healthy. It's convinced it's one of "the big chickens." The other silkies have formed little groups in the flock -- the six-week-olds hang out together, and Cottonball and Professor Fluffles have their own clique (Thunderhead used to hang around them, too before he got sick), but Pinto prefers being with the egg layers. I caught it sitting in between two gold stars on the roost one day, but it hopped down before I could get my camera. It was so funny to see that little chicken perched between these huge hens.

 

[Brie6895]

oh no! I hope he gets better soon!! I will say a prayer for him tonight. hopefully the change of scenery will help.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Poor little Thunderhead is still sick. He acts like a normal chicken, but isn't eating much. I've been handfeeding him (which he fights something terrible) and he's on antibiotics. But he has everyone stumped. His poop is clean -- no cocci or worms and the first round of antibiotics didn't do anything, so we're on to something stronger. But after his initial weight drop, it's now steady. I'm trying to get him to gain. If he's going to recover, I think it's going to be a slow, long one. Here's a picture of the little guy resting in the sun in the back yard. I thought maybe a change of scenery might help him. I so hope he makes it.



Then there's Pinto. The tiny eight-week-old silkie who I swear hasn't grown since I got it, but is happy and healthy. It's convinced it's one of "the big chickens." The other silkies have formed little groups in the flock -- the six-week-olds hang out together, and Cottonball and Professor Fluffles have their own clique (Thunderhead used to hang around them, too before he got sick), but Pinto prefers being with the egg layers. I caught it sitting in between two gold stars on the roost one day, but it hopped down before I could get my camera. It was so funny to see that little chicken perched between these huge hens.

I am sorry about Thunderhead. Have they done any other tests to see what is possible? I had one bird that refused to eat - I finally let her go and the report was she had chronic lesions in her throat from bacterial and fungal infections (I was given the bird). She wouldn't eat because it hurt and wouldn't drink because the water would irritate it. I contacted the person who gave her to me and she is making changes in her housing of her birds. Yours do not appear to be kept in wet conditions though.

I also have a Big Bird Silkie - she sleeps with the big birds - forgot those little fluff balls on the ground - she is a BIG bird!

 

[Urchin]

I am sorry about Thunderhead. Have they done any other tests to see what is possible? I had one bird that refused to eat - I finally let her go and the report was she had chronic lesions in her throat from bacterial and fungal infections (I was given the bird). She wouldn't eat because it hurt and wouldn't drink because the water would irritate it. I contacted the person who gave her to me and she is making changes in her housing of her birds. Yours do not appear to be kept in wet conditions though.

I also have a Big Bird Silkie - she sleeps with the big birds - forgot those little fluff balls on the ground - she is a BIG bird!

It was wet conditions up until a couple of weeks ago. That pen was nothing but mud that wouldn't dry because it's covered and they all milled around in it in it because they hate rain. They have their coop, a small, covered area just outside of it and a large, open area off of the covered yard. I'm working with the avian vet on it, but nothing is turning up. I've spent a lot getting tests done, believe me! Right now it's amoxicillin (I know that's not spelled right, but my spell checker doesn't work on here) and more tests if that doesn't work. It's so hard to get anyone to even look at a chicken and it seems the way to diagnose is to necropsy one who already died then treat the flock, but you all know that.

 

[AussieHens96]

First we got a 16 week old silky and once she started laying she was soon broody; she's just a buff silkie with no fluffy feet. A few months after we got another at 5 weeks and gave it to her; a white silkie with fluffy feet. They are bonded really well.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: Yeah, its tough to figure out what is going on. Since chickens are usually meat animals and nobody treats them - if they are sick you dispose of them. They don't understand about Silkies = pets.

I am glad you are getting him to stop loosing weight, I just hope he goes back to eating on his own. He won't even eat "treats" like mealworms? That was when I knew the girl I had was seriously sick - she looked at the mealworms (live even) and wouldn't eat them.

I don't know what they would do for inflammation in the throat if that is causing it - I suppose you could try goldenseal in fermented feed and see if that heals it and he starts eating. I would check all areas of the coop looking for mold from it not being able to dry out

First we got a 16 week old silky and once she started laying she was soon broody; she's just a buff silkie with no fluffy feet. A few months after we got another at 5 weeks and gave it to her; a white silkie with fluffy feet. They are bonded really well.

Does she even have feet?

I love that pic - my broodies let their babies do that and its so cute. They are very happy together.

 

[chooketychook]

Hi im from the uk,where we have really bad winters or really bad weather in general lol, My question is if my silkie was to go broody during really cold weather -0 (if that happens =\) would it still be ok for her to sit and hatch her own eggs and raise the babys or would it be best I hand reared them? And if I did have to take the eggs would the hen attack me or get depressed or anything? Im new all my silkies are young still but its just something I wondered,thanks in advance for any advice x

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Hi im from the uk,where we have really bad winters or really bad weather in general lol, My question is if my silkie was to go broody during really cold weather -0 (if that happens =\) would it still be ok for her to sit and hatch her own eggs and raise the babys or would it be best I hand reared them? And if I did have to take the eggs would the hen attack me or get depressed or anything? Im new all my silkies are young still but its just something I wondered,thanks in advance for any advice

As long as she is in a nice dry wind-proof coop with a little box for her to huddle in to maintain warmth she'd be fine. She would be sitting there anyways...being broody and all. Give her babies (eggs to hatch) to make her happy (and end the broodiness) is my advice. They DO get depressed if you take their chicks away. But if you are just collecting eggs then some broodies attack and peck, and others don't. (If you don't want a hen to be broody some people have success with putting them in a cage with a wire bottom for 24 hours with food and water, but that hasn't worked for me the couple of times I have tried it.)