Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[PioneerChicks]

I just finished my article about (you guessed it) silkies! Here's the link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/sexing-silkies.75451/

 

[LynnaePB]

I just finished my article about (you guessed it) silkies! Here's the link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/sexing-silkies.75451/

Nice article SoftSilkie, I'm surprised there wasn't a silkie sexing article already! With how much of a reputation silkies have as being hard to sex I'm sure it will help others. Just one thing, for some reason the age and numbers of a lot of the silkies was coming up as a blank underscored space (like at what age your silkies started laying). I'm not sure if that was just something weird on my end but thought I should let you know just in case, loved the article though!

 

[PioneerChicks]

Nice article SoftSilkie, I'm surprised there wasn't a silkie sexing article already! With how much of a reputation silkies have as being hard to sex I'm sure it will help others. Just one thing, for some reason the age and numbers of a lot of the silkies was coming up as a blank underscored space (like at what age your silkies started laying). I'm not sure if that was just something weird on my end but thought I should let you know just in case, loved the article though!

Yes, I was also surprised. Thanks for the catch, I found that in one place that somehow must not have saved. Thanks!

 

[casportpony]

Reminder - Today is the last day to get your four nominations in for the month of December! Please see post #1 of this thread for more info:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/byc-recognition-medals.1214207/

We can nominate 4 people per month (12 per quarter).

Awards are given:
January (for months October, November, December)
April (for months January, February, March)
July (for months April, May, June)
October (for months July, August, September)

January, February, March - First Quarter
April, May, June - Second Quarter
July, August, September - Third Quarter
October, November, December - Fourth Quarter

 

[HookLineSilkie]

Hi ALL! Hoping for some advice! My big Blue Silkie chick (about 7 weeks old) has developed a kink or crook in his neck. It is tilted like he is looking up at me but it doesn’t straighten out when he moves away/runs around the coop. I do see it straighten out at times but generally, the neck and head is at a tilt. He is acting totally normal other than this ailment so not sure if it’s a mild case of wry neck or an ear infection or head injury. It’s been going on for 3 days. I have been putting vitamin e in the drinking water so hopefully that helps. None of the other chicks have any issues. Should I be overly concerned? Does wry neck present itself like this and then get progressively worse? What does it sound like to you guys?

 

[HookLineSilkie]

Hi! Another question...
my hen has a 4 week old chick with her in coop that she’s been caring for. She layed an egg yesterday. Does this mean in the world of chicken that she’s done mothering? Sorry for silly question but I’m new to all this!

 

[PioneerChicks]

Hi ALL! Hoping for some advice! My big Blue Silkie chick (about 7 weeks old) has developed a kink or crook in his neck. It is tilted like he is looking up at me but it doesn’t straighten out when he moves away/runs around the coop. I do see it straighten out at times but generally, the neck and head is at a tilt. He is acting totally normal other than this ailment so not sure if it’s a mild case of wry neck or an ear infection or head injury. It’s been going on for 3 days. I have been putting vitamin e in the drinking water so hopefully that helps. None of the other chicks have any issues. Should I be overly concerned? Does wry neck present itself like this and then get progressively worse? What does it sound like to you guys?

Most likely wry neck. You sound like you're treating it fine, but if it gets worse consider separating him or adding sunflower seed insides to his food. You might need to help him tip his head back up to eat and drink a couple of times a day if it is bad enough.

 

[HookLineSilkie]

Most likely wry neck. You sound like you're treating it fine, but if it gets worse consider separating him or adding sunflower seed insides to his food. You might need to help him tip his head back up to eat and drink a couple of times a day if it is bad enough.

Thank you!

 

[LynnaePB]

Hi ALL! Hoping for some advice! My big Blue Silkie chick (about 7 weeks old) has developed a kink or crook in his neck. It is tilted like he is looking up at me but it doesn’t straighten out when he moves away/runs around the coop. I do see it straighten out at times but generally, the neck and head is at a tilt. He is acting totally normal other than this ailment so not sure if it’s a mild case of wry neck or an ear infection or head injury. It’s been going on for 3 days. I have been putting vitamin e in the drinking water so hopefully that helps. None of the other chicks have any issues. Should I be overly concerned? Does wry neck present itself like this and then get progressively worse? What does it sound like to you guys?

I agree with SoftSilkie, it sounds like wry neck to me as well. Selenium is often needed in conjunction with vitamin e as it helps them absorb the vitamin e. Sunflower seeds naturally have both selenium and vitamin e, if your little one gets bad enough you may have to syringe feed however. I treat with vitamin e softgels (400 iu and above work best) and selenium tablets. I gave about an 8th of the 200 mcg selenium tablet once a day with one of the vitamin e softgels (selenium is easier to overdo so be careful to only give a very small bit). I try to give a second vitamin e pill later in the day as well (without the selenium) I squeeze out the contents of the vitamin e pill and used a 1 ml syringe to give it to the chick, the selenium can be crushed and mixed with the vitamin e or a small bit of water and syringe fed (though I've just put the whole 8th of a piece directly into the beak as well at times). I've heard sometimes vitamin B can be involved as well so sometimes I'll add a small bit of a vitamin B complex to the daily treatments if the chick isn't responding very quickly just to the vitamin e and the selenium. Sometimes the wry neck is not from a vitamin deficiency and is instead from a head injury (this happens much more easily to chicks with vaulted skulls). It takes about 1 1/2 - 2 weeks usually for my silkies to recover from wry neck (sometimes a little longer), I keep the vitamin treatment up until they stop displaying symptoms. My chicks usually got it around the same age as yours did and the ones who had it the worst went from that slight tilt to completely unable to lift their heads to try to eat or drink in the span of a day or two (I got baby parrot formula since it was easy to syringe feed and fed them 1 ml at a time until their crops felt full twice a day until they were able to eat on their own again).

Good luck with your little one, hopefully it's just a mild case and will be easy to treat!

 

[HookLineSilkie]

Thank you for the very detailed regimen! My guy looks to be improving slightly but I will get some sunflower seeds as a part of my continued treatment. It doesn’t seem to be getting worse, so that’s good!