Silkie thread!

[lightchick]

my 3 new chicks hatched yesterday that's makes a total of 20 wit more on the way

Awwww. So cute!

 

[Fancychooklady]

Hey Fancy, or anyone else, we lost a bird last night.
It was one of our BO hens and she's in with two others and our only Silkie girl.
Two of the buffs have had a soft molt going on for a while which I figured was about shorter days and their age.
The feather loss was pretty much limited to the saddle and no, the roos have no access to the girls, so it wasn't from them.
I had also noticed lately that their waterer has had some food sediment in it when I change it daily,
I considered it to be what for lack of a better word, backwash.
I don't ever see this in the roo's waterer, so I guessed it might be a slow crop, or something of that nature, but I do give them grit.
Everyone has been eating, drinking and very active.
The three hens were laying regularly up until a few days ago when one stopped, but I'm not sure if it was her.
Yesterday evening I noticed that the one we lost was gapping almost as if it were hot, but it was only in the low 70's.
I guess it is possible it was something respiratory, but until last night, I hadn't noticed anything.
She went up in the coop on her own and the last time I saw her alive she was on the perch.
This morning I found her under the perch passed on.
I examined her, felt no obstruction in the crop, no mites, or signs of parasites but her vent seemed to be protruding slightly.
Everyone else seems to be fine short of one of the other buffs being in a soft molt, so I'm not sure what to think.
Any ideas?

s
Could be any number of things, was she very old ? With the regurgitating in the water , I too would think crop impaction. Excessive thirst is one of the early symptoms . The gasping you describe is more one of the final stages before death. Most chickens will display upper respiratory symptoms when in a stressful situation . Internal laying and a worm burden are also things to consider. I would reworm the rest of the flock and check the protein levels on the feed pack, ( it doesn't hurt to raise the protein in times of molt )
Sorry for your loss,

 

[silky smooth]

did you but your incubator like that or add the digital controler

the new ones come like that.

 

[Half Moon Ranch]

s
Could be any number of things, was she very old ? With the regurgitating in the water , I too would think crop impaction. Excessive thirst is one of the early symptoms . The gasping you describe is more one of the final stages before death. Most chickens will display upper respiratory symptoms when in a stressful situation . Internal laying and a worm burden are also things to consider. I would reworm the rest of the flock and check the protein levels on the feed pack, ( it doesn't hurt to raise the protein in times of molt )
Sorry for your loss,

She was only a little over a year old.
I recently changed the girls over to layer from the Purina flock raiser since they were no longer in a mixed setting.
I suppose it's possible she might have ingested something larger or rougher than she could handle, bark, etc.. because we are pretty much in the woods and have have a lot of dead fall of limbs due to rain and wind, but it's hard to say.
I'm wondering about internal laying since I believe she stopped about a week ago.

I'll keep an eye on the rest and what do you suggest for a wormer?
They're all adults, so no chicks to consider.

 

[rayray983]

ok quick question i bought these silkies from tsc and thought buff at first but now they have black barbing coming in wonder if its could be partridge or is the black just what they call smut

 

[flockofbantams]

ok quick question i bought these silkies from tsc and thought buff at first but now they have black barbing coming in wonder if its could be partridge or is the black just what they call smut

can you take a picture of the back of the chick and head?

 

[rayray983]

can you take a picture of the back of the chick and head?

its all gold excpet the black dot on back of head and black in wing feathers

 

[rayray983]

heres a lil clearer of a image

 

[flockofbantams]

heres a lil clearer of a image

ummm ok well the wing feathers look like a silkie, I can't tell from the picture does the chick have black skin and 5 toes?
It might be a red. I think reds sometimes have head marks (black dot)
And I know in other red breeds they can get other colors in the wing feathers at first and in silkies because of the texture of the feathers it might look like barring.... But I'm not an expert so.... It could be a cuckoo, but I don't think so. #1 reason being most the time tsc has hatchery chicks and most hatchery just sells basic colors....
Hopefully someone more experienced can help you, but my guess would be a re or dark buff

 

[rayray983]

ummm ok well the wing feathers look like a silkie, I can't tell from the picture does the chick have black skin and 5 toes?
It might be a red. I think reds sometimes have head marks (black dot)
And I know in other red breeds they can get other colors in the wing feathers at first and in silkies because of the texture of the feathers it might look like barring.... But I'm not an expert so.... It could be a cuckoo, but I don't think so. #1 reason being most the time tsc has hatchery chicks and most hatchery just sells basic colors....
Hopefully someone more experienced can help you, but my guess would be a re or dark buff

Thanks i know its silkie used to breed white silkies all od these have black skin and 5 toes on each foot nice fuz down legs the coloring has thrown me because ive been reading up on both buffs and partridge and if it is buff the black in the wings isnt good but if it ends up beig partridge its ok lol either way doesnt matter cause they are just gona be pet back yard silkies not showing just couldnt pass them up since tsc had em for 1.99 each