Silkie thread!

[quailtrail]

I've found keeping them too warm will do it and so will dirty water. I change my chicks water several times a day. A combination of the heat and food, wood shavings and poop in the water it makes for a nasty concoction.

Last time I took a bird to the vet I brought everything I have in my collection of meds and VetRX is also included. My vet said that is good for nothing and I may as well throw it away. Just thought I would add that little info. I've read where others have posted that it is great to have.

some how I feel like it's better to have than n

 

[emvickrey]

I stash any unused antibiotics into my first aid box. Our old German shepherd was hit by lightning and suffered neurological problems and was on cephalexin .
I did take a roo to the avian vet and he sold me a sulphadim based poultry antibiotic . The roo had a sinus infection.
Yes , I always keep antibiotics on hand, cause if your going to keep chickens , chances are you will eventually need them.

My vet gave me eye drops for a roo that keeps having a runny eye that says on the box that it's for dogs and cats, also vitamins. I've used a powder puffer that is for horses with pink eye. (can't spell the word for it) conjunctivitis ? He used wormer for puppies also. So although a vet knows the best to use many of us use antibiotics and wormers that are meant for other farm animals but the dosage is much lower. I don't give my birds anything till I get the right dosage. I have a container that I keep all my medicines, eye droppers, pipettes as well as grooming and first aid items so I know where it all is and can get to it quickly if necessary.

 

[Fancychooklady]

My vet gave me eye drops for a roo that keeps having a runny eye that says on the box that it's for dogs and cats, also vitamins. I've used a powder puffer that is for horses with pink eye. (can't spell the word for it) conjunctivitis ?  He used wormer for puppies also. So although a vet knows the best to use many of us use antibiotics and wormers that are meant for other farm animals but the dosage is much lower. I don't give my birds anything till I get the right dosage. I have a container that I keep all my medicines, eye droppers, pipettes as well as grooming and first aid items so I know where it all is and can get to it quickly if necessary.

My vet is an old American guy. He's the vet for all the local hatcheries and was not at all suprised by my medical kit. I have syringes in every gauge , sterile sutcher kits, scalpel and bolt cutters. We've had to stitch a greyhound from shoulder to ribs, a goats head back together, after the horn got ripped off exposing brain matter. Compared to these dramas treating chickens is fairly tame. For one , they don't bite or kick!
I use chlorsig antibiotic eye drops on chooks and goats.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Oooh ok, I keep getting mixed reviews from people about the medicated food so I am confused. Some people tell me to absolutely use it while others say not to. They've been on it for 3 weeks now. Should I just put them on non-medicated now then?

Since you have them on it , I would continue for the 6 weeks. That's not to say they can't have treats. Nows the time to introduce them to other tidbits.
But keep the the treats as treats. Everything in moderation.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I just got these silkies a couples days ago from a local farm supply store. They seem a bit stressed and have some bald spots. The employee said the bigger one is about a month old and the smaller one is about three weeks. I am trying to make them as comfortable as possible but I am concerned about their feathers. Here is a picture, sorry it's not very close. I didn't want to stress them out anymore. I would appreciate any advice!! These are my first bantams.

It can take awhile for them to settle in. If they have had minimal handling they will be frightened. Try putting a little food in the palm of your hand and see if they will eat from your hand. No sudden movements and eventually they might let you stroke their underbelly. I start this process from day one . I dip my finger in the water and they drink from my fingertip. Once they are ready to eat, I dip my finger in the water, then in the chick starter and they nibble it. This just makes them comfortable with the hand.

 

[Suzierd]

Oooh ok, I keep getting mixed reviews from people about the medicated food so I am confused. Some people tell me to absolutely use it while others say not to. They've been on it for 3 weeks now. Should I just put them on non-medicated now then?

I have read if they get diarrhea to take them off the medicated and give them regular chick starter. Best of luck.

 

[Iluvmysilkies]

I have read if they get diarrhea to take them off the medicated and give them regular chick starter. Best of luck.

But see ive been giving them scrambled eggs as a treat also everyday which I guess I shouldnt be doing so I dont know if the poops are because of the medicated feed or the eggs. I dont remember it being an issue before I started giving them eggs the last week in a half. So i'll quit giving them the eggs for a few days and see if they go back to normal or not.

 

[emvickrey]

Since you have them on it , I would continue for the 6 weeks. That's not to say they can't have treats. Nows the time to introduce them to other tidbits.
But keep the the treats as treats. Everything in moderation.

I didn't used to give any chicks anything other than chick starter unmedicated. I now will give them a meal worm each. Mostly for the protien and I love to watch them run around. It's hilarious. I'll put a couple in their food bowl and they see them burrow under the feed and they go after them. When one gets one it take off running while the others chase it trying to steal it. I also raise most of my chicks indoors in brooders and only let broody's raise them outside in warm weather. When it's cold I'll bring in the broody and she sits and raises her babies in an old water trough on my carport room.

I tend to give other treats to the chicks with mothers because actually it's for the mothers but they always call their babies over for a taste. I'll give them boiled or scrambled eggs and greens that are easy for the babies to eat.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I didn't used to give any chicks anything other than chick starter unmedicated. I now will give them a meal worm each. Mostly for the protien and I love to watch them run around. It's hilarious. I'll put a couple in their food bowl and they see them burrow under the feed and they go after them. When one gets one it take off running while the others chase it trying to steal it. I also raise most of my chicks indoors in brooders and only let broody's raise them outside in warm weather. When it's cold I'll bring in the broody and she sits and raises her babies in an old water trough on my carport room.

I tend to give other treats to the chicks with mothers because actually it's for the mothers but they always call their babies over for a taste. I'll give them boiled or scrambled eggs and greens that are easy for the babies to eat.

Yeah, it would be pretty boring just living on chickstarter. Tonight when I cook dinner I will steam our veges and put the broccoli stem and carrot scraps etc in the bottom pot. Once it's soft enough for them, they'll eat the lot. The chicks that are with their mommas get to try lots of things. We've had white cabbage moths flying around with a flotilla of chicks chasing after them. Just yesterday we were watching as a 2 week old chick discovered a worm. At first he didn't seem quite sure what to do with but once all of his siblings started chasing him for it he knew it must be good and gobbled it up.
Lol better than TV.

 

[Sylvester017]

I agree with you. But not everybody has a vet that has had schooling for birds. We didn't have one around here. The closest avian vet was 60 miles away. So I had to resort to trying to figure it out myself. We just recently got a vet that got some training with birds. I was lucky this winter when I found out he was there. I sure needed him. I"ve never had so many come down sick. Colds and minor issues can be cured with duramyacin but the Batril the vet said is the strongest that can be given to a chicken. He combines it with steroid when giving a shot then I give the liquid Baytril at home. The steroid is only included when there is swelling as there was with my one hen. It sure ramps the bird up for about 24 hours. It's like giving them crack. The one that had worms he gave a steroid shot with antibiotic as well wormed it just in case he had a head injury because of how he was acting. He wanted to cover all bases. It took him a while to get back his balance but I also discovered he had feathers growing on the bottoms of his feet which make his feet slide making it hard for him to walk. But he still bobbed his head as if he had a head injury. Silkies don't have bone over their brain so they can get brain injuries very easily. Just for those that don't know that.

How wonderful that you persevered to find a bird-trained vet. You made the effort in your situation to get the best medical professional resource available to you. Nothing is black or white, right or wrong, except I'm a stickler about issues where chickeneers try to self-diagnose when they are lucky to have all the available vet resources at their fingertips yet still choose to self-medicate an obviously suffering bird.

Our vet came into the area about 10 years ago and advertised as dog/cat/birds/exotic care. But dogs and cats took over his practice and he no longer made it known about his avian expertise - until we started bringing our Silkie to him a year ago. Now he's proudly returned to displaying his birds/exotics expertise when I told him how many of us in the neighborhood were in need of an avian vet. His staff said if allowed he would have chickens in the office backyard because he loves them so much. We just lucked out remembering his original medical office sign from years ago - otherwise we would have to travel over 25 miles to the next available pricier avian specialist. He's been right on the money with all of our Silkie's ailments this past year. He helped us and in a funny way we helped him return to his avian love again. There's $$$ in caring for numerous dogs and cats and rarer to get avian patients. However once you are a bird lover you are always a bird lover and you could see it in our vet's face when he grins and fusses over our little Silkie. He says it lights up his day when we bring her in and very pleased and approving of the preventative health treatments we have scheduled routinely for our hens. His input on routine health care and safe products to use have been invaluable.

That's funny about your steroid "crack." My DH calls fresh corn for our chickens' "crack corn" as they go crazy for it like dope.

Yep, I don't know the details of what makes that structure in their skull so delicate but they instinctually know to protect their head from pecking chickens moreso than other breeds. Instinct keeps them aware of their diminutive size around anything above or behind them more than the obstructed vision from their crest/beard. We noticed our Silkies from the time they were babies always darted about to protect themselves/their heads from larger or aggressive chicks. It was always duck-and-run from the time they were chicks. They are determined not to be caught "off-guard."