Silkie thread!

[Sylvester017]

I hope your not adding the vitamins and polivisol together . Excess selenium will kill birds quicker than as deficiency will. Calcium carbonate is also best placed in a dish on ' freetake ' that way the birds that need it will partake and those that don't aren't getting too much calcium in their system, which once again can be lethal once it has made its way into the organs.

Thx for the input. Nope, the Rooster Booster chicken vits are mixed sparingly (per instructions) into their cooked organic brown rice, mixed with a sparing sprinkle of Brewers Yeast, Selenium, and Bee Pollen. I read up on these before incorporating into their diet. The Poly-Vi-Sol is used 1 to 2x a week as supplementation for a broody or a molting hen eating poorly, or a layer with high production, one drop on the side of the beak -- or in the case of the Silkies they lick up the drop right off the dropper or out of the palm of my hand. And the Calcium Carbonate is placed next to the Oyster Shell so the laying birds have a choice. It's good you point these things out since I sometimes leave out the details when sharing

. There are water forms of chicken vitamins but I can't monitor how much or which hens are eating/drinking so I monitor the supplements in person. It's easy to monitor since I'm down to 3 birds at the moment. Expecting a couple more birds in the Spring to bring the number up to 5 again. Other breeds have come and gone but the two Silkies keep toodling on. Love those girls for so-o-o many reasons! If for nothing else these girls are worth the smiles!

 

[kajira]

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There's the one I KNOW is a roo... the others, are still up for debate.

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they are in that awkward gangly stage

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my little white cochin - and the black one is her baby. lol The white silkie in the background is my oldest silkie.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Thx for the input. Nope, the Rooster Booster chicken vits are mixed sparingly (per instructions) into their cooked organic brown rice, mixed with a sparing sprinkle of Brewers Yeast, Selenium, and Bee Pollen. I read up on these before incorporating into their diet. The Poly-Vi-Sol is used 1 to 2x a week as supplementation for a broody or a molting hen eating poorly, or a layer with high production, one drop on the side of the beak -- or in the case of the Silkies they lick up the drop right off the dropper or out of the palm of my hand. And the Calcium Carbonate is placed next to the Oyster Shell so the laying birds have a choice. It's good you point these things out since I sometimes leave out the details when sharing . There are water forms of chicken vitamins but I can't monitor how much or which hens are eating/drinking so I monitor the supplements in person. It's easy to monitor since I'm down to 3 birds at the moment. Expecting a couple more birds in the Spring to bring the number up to 5 again. Other breeds have come and gone but the two Silkies keep toodling on. Love those girls for so-o-o many reasons! If for nothing else these girls are worth the smiles!

Thanks for clarifying that. I think it is best that newbies understand that supplements are only needed when there is a shortfall. I've been using a great product here in Australia called Anitone. Formulated by a vet and have seen great improvement in the health of our horses, goats and chickens since discovering it 3 years ago. I have a male goat that often suffers from selenium deficiency and when he is at his worst he is almost crippled. The addition of Anitone over his warm mash has him up on his legs again and his limbs are almost straight again. My birds don't like polivisol yet they will eagerly eat or drink the Anitone. We've also found that it helps horses that are on the verge of colic and take it on all of our competition trips.

 

[dawn secord]

Any guesses on this 12 week old - hoping for a pullet.

Totally clipped around her eyes last night hence the weird feather shape on her head.

She started twitching recently. I'm guessing it is neurological. I have her and a 12 week old sizzle in the house. I took them outside 3 weeks ago and put them in a pen inside my coop. The old silkie hen that hatched the sizzle reached through the wire and really pecked the silkie in the back of the neck - actually had her by the neck feathers. Really didn't notice a head bobble prior to that, maybe just a tad. So I don't know if the bobble is developing or if it is a result of the peck. I'd read somewhere that the feathering around the eyes can make them shake their heads. Hence the hair cut.

She (hoping) is a doll. Really fond of her. Sad about the bobbling though. Is intermittent. Not terribly bad.

 

[ChickenGrass]

Looks like a pullet.

 

[dawn secord]

Thank you for the response. I'm hoping! I'd gotten three chicks in May from this breeder and all turned out to be cockerels. He took 2 back (his guarantee is to find homes for any roosters - no money refund) and I kept 1 because he is so dang adorable. Was thinking of letting them have a few eggs in a year - not sure if the head bobbing is genetic. If so, won't use her. Any thoughts? I'm thinking it is a trauma due to her vaulted skull. Who knows.

Ireland - how exciting. We have Irish Setters. Would love to visit Ireland some day.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Any guesses on this 12 week old - hoping for a pullet. Totally clipped around her eyes last night hence the weird feather shape on her head. She started twitching recently. I'm guessing it is neurological. I have her and a 12 week old sizzle in the house. I took them outside 3 weeks ago and put them in a pen inside my coop. The old silkie hen that hatched the sizzle reached through the wire and really pecked the silkie in the back of the neck - actually had her by the neck feathers. Really didn't notice a head bobble prior to that, maybe just a tad. So I don't know if the bobble is developing or if it is a result of the peck. I'd read somewhere that the feathering around the eyes can make them shake their heads. Hence the hair cut. She (hoping) is a doll. Really fond of her. Sad about the bobbling though. Is intermittent. Not terribly bad.

Looks like a pullet. You could just sprinkle the feed ration with Brewers yeast and see if there is any improvement. Thiamine deficiency can cause the wobbles , but so too can head injuries, with all that crest it's hard to see , but she could also have started out with vaulted crest which makes her more susceptible to cerebral hernia.

 

[summerb123]

agree....

 

[Cynthia12]

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM A COUPLE OF OLD FOLKS!

 

[Cynthia12]

A few of my silkie babies from my last hatch.