Silkie thread!

[Michelle27]

They're beautiful! I have 2 the same color as your top right picture! Do you consider them "red"? I've often wonder what they're color was considered. Here's our roo, Cheddar. and one of our hens, Lucy.

Your hen is gorgeous!

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Here are my whites:

And a black NN silkie

 

[carolsmith7878]

Hi LadyKotaDoria,

I have one like that from my hatch as well. Of course, it is the one my son has fallen in love with and called "Buzz Chickyear". It was smaller, not doing well, couldn't walk right (no balance), couldn't open its eyes, and had deformed feet.

I had had "the talk" with my son about it not living through the night the night before last, but it is slowly getting stronger. I put a buddy in with it to keep it company (another silkie with a slipped tendon that is also doing better), and kept them separated from the rest. I added "Vi-tal" powder to the water (gotten at my local feed store), and dipped its beak in the water to drink every few hours the day after it was hatched, and added Band-Aid shoes to its feet to straighten them.

On day 3, I cleaned its eyes with a wet q-tip, and they stayed open for a while. I clean them every half day and they are starting to stay open on their own. I took off the shoes because it was having trouble standing with them on. The feet are mostly straight, but I'm more concerned with him getting around to eat and drink at this point. I made a mash of vitamin water and chick starter crumbles, by mixing them together and crushing them in a bowl with a spoon until they were a water paste. I then dipped his beak in it every few hours (careful not to get it in his nose), so that he was getting some nutrients.

It is day four. He is still alive. He is now walking on his own (though he falls a lot), and is eating and drinking on his own. I did put some crushed mealworms down to entice him to eat, and this seems to have worked. His eyes mostly stay open, and though he gets pasty butt, he appears to be doing better.

I hope this helps. Sometimes, despite everything you do, their little bodies just don't have the energy to make it past the first few days for whatever reason (genetics, difficult hatch, injury...). You can only do so much to help them. Good luck!

Buzz Chickyear

 

[foghornleghorn9]

Hello fellow eggheads. I would love some suggestions to help me get my birds laying in their nesting boxes.
I have some beautiful silkies who have just begun laying about 2 - 3 weeks ago. The problem I have is that
they are not laying in the nesting boxes or even in the coop for that matter. I have placed a ping pong ball in
the nesting boxes and I see that they've sat in there and shaped the bedding like a nest normally would look
but that's it. Any other suggestions? I thought this might happen with my other birds but not my "broody" silkies.
There are 3 hens and 3 roosters and they are all silkies. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all.


Tommy D

 

[Fancychooklady]

I had 4 Silkie chicks, 2 are falling to thrive. They have a momma, One passed during the night, the other can not keep up, I put her in a brooder box. Any suggestions on what I can do to help her if she can be helped. She is smaller and lighter then her siblings. She is on her 5th day.


Update: the little one died, minutes ago. It's gullet was empty. No food, I do not believe it ever eat, she was so thin. So sad. Two silkies, 2 are robust, 2 just week to start. Any comments that will help me in the future. I had a broody and introduced 4 silkies while eggs were hatching. Next time I will not have a broody to take care of them. I will have to use a brooder box.

I have little experience with Silkie chicks. I know some breeds are not as strong as chicks. I am in the process of packing and moving, have to be out by the end of May. I had a girl go broody, she has had to do it all alone... The way she likes it.

Some chicks don't thrive . Sugar in their water or chicksaver will sometimes see them out of the woods. This link may help you in the future.
But don't take it to heart, we all lose them at one time or another.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/03/baby-chick-basics-what-you-need-to-know.html

 

[abkoldewyn]

And a black NN silkie

She is so cute! I can hardly stand it! How do you not just cuddle her every minute?!

 

[Fancychooklady]

Hi LadyKotaDoria, I have one like that from my hatch as well. Of course, it is the one my son has fallen in love with and called "Buzz Chickyear". It was smaller, not doing well, couldn't walk right (no balance), couldn't open its eyes, and had deformed feet. I had had "the talk" with my son about it not living through the night the night before last, but it is slowly getting stronger. I put a buddy in with it to keep it company (another silkie with a slipped tendon that is also doing better), and kept them separated from the rest. I added "Vi-tal" powder to the water (gotten at my local feed store), and dipped its beak in the water to drink every few hours the day after it was hatched, and added Band-Aid shoes to its feet to straighten them. On day 3, I cleaned its eyes with a wet q-tip, and they stayed open for a while. I clean them every half day and they are starting to stay open on their own. I took off the shoes because it was having trouble standing with them on. The feet are mostly straight, but I'm more concerned with him getting around to eat and drink at this point. I made a mash of vitamin water and chick starter crumbles, by mixing them together and crushing them in a bowl with a spoon until they were a water paste. I then dipped his beak in it every few hours (careful not to get it in his nose), so that he was getting some nutrients. It is day four. He is still alive. He is now walking on his own (though he falls a lot), and is eating and drinking on his own. I did put some crushed mealworms down to entice him to eat, and this seems to have worked. His eyes mostly stay open, and though he gets pasty butt, he appears to be doing better. I hope this helps. Sometimes, despite everything you do, their little bodies just don't have the energy to make it past the first few days for whatever reason (genetics, difficult hatch, injury...). You can only do so much to help them. Good luck! Buzz Chickyear

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/39604/some-causes-of-early-chick-mortality This article goes some way to helping explain it. Keep up the good work and take a look at the chicken chick link also.

 

[carolsmith7878]

Thanks!

Will do!

I'll keep his progress (one way or the other) updated for others to see what has or hasn't helped.


Update:

Read the article and noted some things that may have contributed to my chick's issues.

1) I just re-built this incubator from scratch (I make my own), and this was a test hatch. The humidity was too high for this batch (is now adjusted), and I only had a 73% hatch rate this batch. 29 out of 40 eggs hatched. I typically have a 95%+ hatch rate. Two were late hatchers: Buzz Chickyear, and another chick that expired within 24 hours of hatch. Both had leg problems typical of late hatch/high humidity issues.

2) The parent stock is very young, and I just recently started adding vitamins to their water once a week. I noted that despite the layer feed being a supposed "complete" formulation for laying hens, that they do not forage as well as my other chickens (silkies do have that huge hairdo in their eyes) and appear to do better with a vitamin supplement.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

She is so cute!  I can hardly stand it!  How do you not just cuddle her every minute?!

Thanks She is just tiny and cute. And she actually does snuggle. She hates it outside and just wants us to bring her in with the people. I am going to put that black Silkie Rooster from Cynthia with her until I can find a blue one, hoping they will make cute little blackie babies when he matures!

 

[Fancychooklady]

...

Thanks!   Will

Thanks!   Will do!

I'll keep his progress (one way or the other) updated for others to see what has or hasn't helped.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/216/vitamin-bi-deficiency

You might also be facing a thiamine deficiency, which appears to be all too common in silkies. A little brewers yeast or marmite added to the feed will ' up ' the B1 levels.