Silkie thread!

[Lollie508]

Aww I love silkies, and everyone has gorgeous ones too.

 

[kabhyper1]

Well it's definitely not respiratory, my girl with the ear infection. She is doing better today. However, when I brought her in for treatment today, something about her neck felt weird. Like pin feathers do under existing feathers. Hard. I looked under her hackles, and the skin down her neck is hard and flaky, like callous. The same as what is around her ears. Dry hard flaky skin. I put vet rx on it thinking mites. Have any of you had skin hardening in relation to ear infection in your chickens?

 

[DanielE1990]

sorry to hear of your losses. Can you om me the hatchery name?

Have you figured out exactly what it is that caused it? Perhaps we can help? Start from the beginning....

Ideal poultry.
Ive had two smallest died. Some of the others have feet deformities. Toes that curled under the feet and that are now causing problems. Ive have them on paper towels as recommended here changed daily. So I dont think its from that.

 

[subhanalah]

Ideal poultry.
Ive had two smallest died. Some of the others have feet deformities. Toes that curled under the feet and that are now causing problems. Ive have them on paper towels as recommended here changed daily. So I dont think its from that.

can you give them some poultry nutridrench? What are you feeding them?

 

[DanielE1990]

can you give them some poultry nutridrench? What are you feeding them?

Im not sure what that is. But ive been feeding chick starter.

 

[Sylvester017]

just be aware of what mix you get. I have a BRxAmeraucana pullet who is VERY serious about her place in the pecking order. She may just have to go...

From my friend's experience with Hybrids/Sexlinks we tend to stay away from any kind of crossed (mutt breeds) or so-called Production breeds. We stick with as pure bred a chicken as we can come by so we can have a generally good idea of the temperament/production of the breed - the non-APA Easter Eggers are the only breed we will use that is not an "officially recognized" APA breed. We won't get EEs that are sold by private individuals at feed stores because they still could be EE crosses. My only source for true EEs is from my feed store where I know it gets its hatchery stock from Privett in NM. Cackle may have good stock also since they breed their own but I have not yet purchased from them but hear good things.

BRs are not a bird I will get either because although its foundation is Dominique there have been too many other breeds and game birds bred into the BR history to make them larger and its not certain what temperament an individual bird's genetics you may inherit in the BRs. Dominiques are more consistently gentle but it's a 50/50 gamble with a BR. People want bigger birds, bigger eggs, prettier plumage without considering that infused genetics can alter temperaments of the original breed.

Also, just because the term "gentle giant" is applied to large breeds like Brahmas, Jersey Giants, and Sussex does not mean they will do well with Silkies or bantams or smaller LF breeds. Chickens are chickens are chickens and the natural pecking order politics still takes place. Putting a 9-11 pound gentle giant hen with a 2-lb Silkie is not equal politics and guess which one gets chased, picked on, or hurt? We have a very sweet nice tempered 5-lb Ameraucana that wouldn't hurt a fly but because she is klutzy she accidentally pushed a Silkie off the nestbox ledge and bruised the Silkie's chest when it fell to the dirt floor below (Silkie's can't fly so the drop was enough to hurt her that we took her to the vet). So you see, just because the term "gentle" is applied to LF they can still injure bantams/Silkies just because of sheer size alone.

 

[Sylvester017]

Well it's definitely not respiratory, my girl with the ear infection. She is doing better today. However, when I brought her in for treatment today, something about her neck felt weird. Like pin feathers do under existing feathers. Hard. I looked under her hackles, and the skin down her neck is hard and flaky, like callous. The same as what is around her ears. Dry hard flaky skin. I put vet rx on it thinking mites. Have any of you had skin hardening in relation to ear infection in your chickens?

FancyChookLady once identified fungus on someone else's bird's skin. Ask FancyChookLady as she has a multiplicity of website links that she could be of great help to you in identifying your dilemma.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Possibly fauvus, possibly the skin form of Mareks, possibly lice eggs, possibly something mechanical such as sticky sometihing that clung to the bird and them dust adhered. Photos would help. As would posting in the Emergency/Diseases/Injury/Cures section.

 

[lightchick]

OK. So this is the last time I'm going to ask the sex of my Silkie.
Here she is at a little over 11 weeks! Still at the bottom of the pecking order.









Oh and what about these tail feathers that turned up? Does that mean that She's a roo or does it just mean that she's a bad quality silkie because her wings have had feathers like that for ever.

























Her comb hasn't grown at all and she has no wattles.
Her at 11 weeks



And "her" at hmmmm maybe 5 weeks?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Ideal poultry.
Ive had two smallest died. Some of the others have feet deformities. Toes that curled under the feet and that are now causing problems. Ive have them on paper towels as recommended here changed daily. So I dont think its from that.

It's very upsetting to hear you are losing them. There are measures you can take in regards to the curled toes and spread doled legs. This link will help and it is pretty straight forward. There are also several avian multi vits on the market, nutr drench and save a chick are two that come to mind.
Here's a link to Avian Super Pack, it's not expensive but has all the goodies in it.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/02/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it.html

http://www.jefferspet.com/products/avian-super-pack-4oz