Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[PippinTheChicken]

If it were me I'd start with poultry vitamin supplement in water to see if it helps... I don't know poultry gold, is it layer feed? If not then they need calcium supplement like shell on the side, just crush up their egg shells, after you have used the egg of course, and put it in a separate container beside the feeder... Doesn't hurt to have crushed shell on the side on offer even if you feed layer.

They love to eat eggshells.. I just haven't bren eating lots of eggs recently. But I will feed them when I do. For now I'll just put some oyster shell and see if that'll help.
I have some red poultry drink but I stopped giving it because I didn't know if Pippin's chicks could drink it

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So little Imari finally went to his new home. We will miss him, just did not have room for two boys unfortunately.
I have confidence the new owner will take good care of him.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

They love to eat eggshells.. I just haven't bren eating lots of eggs recently. But I will feed them when I do. For now I'll just put some oyster shell and see if that'll help.
I have some red poultry drink but I stopped giving it because I didn't know if Pippin's chicks could drink it

I don't know red poultry drink but if you're worried chicks can't have it then you could just seperate the one hen in her own area so she has her own food and water.

 

[Chickeria]

Hi dear friends...sad news from little flock
My little ones do have coccidiosis and today, about four hours ago, my little Herzchen/Little Heart died in my arms or better said in front of my feet because she was flapping and kicking so hard. I'm so sad and I feel so sorry. And I feel guilty because I was not able to prevent it and to protect them from it, and especially her, who has now lost her life, way too soon.
Sorry this will be a longer post...
4 days ago something adventurous and kind of funny happened in my little flock, and I wanted to tell you all about it, but then I didn't have the time to come on board. At the time everything still was ok...
The day before yesterday, Friday, I noticed some strange dark red patches in the bedding in the morning. I went to tell and to fetch my mom, and I thought: hopefully not coccidiosis. When we came back there was so much fresh blood everywhere...so we thought somebody must be injured. We immediately started to check everybody when I noticed Brioche was standing in the cardboard box house which had never been the case before - and so I knew it was Brioche. We took her out and I expected a tore off toe or something like that. But then I found a bloody clot in her behind's fluff. We separated her. When directly starting cleaning their area I noticed Maku had exactly a same bloody clot in his behind's fluff. Now I was pretty sure it could be coccidiosis. I put Maku together with Brioche and called the vets the owners of the chickens my mom and I visit daily had told me own chickens and treat chickens (I wasn't very happy to do so because about 15 years ago we went there with our tortoises and weren't happy and confinced about the way they dealt with our animals, and so we never went there again - but finding a vet who treats chickens is so difficult, so...) I asked on the phone if I could bring them a poop sample and if they would sell me the medication if coccidiosis would be verified (sadly in my country you can't get Corid and always need a vet for prescriptions). The vet told me they already do have enough customers and patients and don't take anybody new in - she refused to help my little ones while knowing no other vet in this towns treats chickens... Never ever I will try those vets again. I tried another vet hoping to get the poop sample checked to be able to plan further steps. They told me they don't do chickens but could send in the poop sample in a laboratory. But if coccidiosis would be verified they wouldn't be allowed to prescribe the needed medication (due to laws in my country a vet needs special certifications to treat chickens and most don't have this) - they wanted to help, but they couldn't. So I waited till the farer away vet our vet from the vet clinic had recommended to us to be specialized in birds opened and was reachable. Maku and Brioche both pooped a lot of blood and slept the most time huddled together. They didn't want to eat and drink, but when I offered fluids on a little plastic spoon they drank. I mixed some electrolytes after a recipe I had found somewhere and gave this to them regularly. Then I could reach the vet. They said we could bring over the poop, she would test it and we could get the medication from them if needed. So thankfully my dad drove with me (I don't own a car) half an hour to the vet. I gave her the poop sample and the vet said: call me on Monday, then I will have the results, today I'm so busy I won't have time to do the floating. My chin dropped under my mask. I pleaded her to please do it earlier because two of my little ones are lethargic and pooping a lot of blood. She said I will see, call me on 6 pm. So we had to drive home without knowing if it is c. and without medication. On 6 pm I was told on the phone they do have c. and we can come and fetch the medication the next morning. In the evening I saw Maku eat. My mom saw Brioche eat. We put Maku and Brioche back to the others to sleep together as always knowing they all would need the same treatment. Both started drinking that evening. The next morning both of them were alert, drinking, eating, preening. Gold colored Brioche looked as if never there had been blood clotches - totally clean. Maku crowed together with the other cockerells. They both clearly felt better. But now Herzchen and Roberta had blood on their behinds' fluffs, were lethargic and refused to drink and eat. We fetched the medication - Baycox - and put it in the waterer. Roberta started to drink, Herzchen refused. I gave her little amounts from the plastic spoon. When I took her up she always made a little weak peep. She later on hid in the tiny cardboard house stuffed with scratched in bedding never anyone had went inside before. This gave me a bad feeling. But then she came out by herself, so I had confidence again. Roberta and Herzchen slept a lot, nearly all the time. One moment my mom thought Roberta was dead because she was flattened out so much. Herzchen started to drink in the evening and I was so relieved. This morning she refused again. I tried so often, gave her drop by drop. I could see the skin between her toes was creased because of the lack of fluids. I gave her some little pieces of soaked pellets in her beak which was kind of force-feeding She was weak. She had difficulties to stand and slept all the time. I had a bad feeling. When I fed all the others a chopped cooked egg and made our 'food call' she came running over and then stood in front of the plate, doing nothing, it was heartbreaking. Then she went to the waterer and drank, for the first time by herself this day, and I got new hope. When I fetched her to give her some more fluids I heard drops hitting the ground. Then I realized there came a huge amount of fluids and some tiny pieces of food from Friday (little pieces of hemp) out of her crop, and there was a sour smell... I think her digestiv system had collapsed at this point. Her crop felt soft and kind of filled with fluids, which I couldn't understand because she had taken in not enough fluids. My mom held her when I tried to give her medicated water again (we were on the terrace because there was better light and I wanted to see exactly I was only giving her drops at the peak of her beak to take in by herself because I was so afraid to suffocate her). I think at this point she was too weak to swallow anything. I don't know if it was fluids from the crop, or the drops I was trying to give her - from what I saw I think my dear little girl suffocated. It was horrible and unbelievably sad.
The moment she had died it started raining. My dear, dear little Herzchen.
My mom shoveled Herzchen's grave. She is now with little number 13 who developped fully but never pipped. And the babies from my friend that never hatched.

I hope all the others will recover. Schneeman/Snowman also had bloody poop yesterday but acts normal all the time (eating, drinking, being active). There must at least be someone else with bloody poop, but I couldn't identify who it is till now. I'm very worried about Roberta - she doesn't eat much (nearly nothing). But she doesn't hide at the moment, preens herself, is drinking and in the group.

Herzchen was such a special little girl. Always the tiniest although she was the first one who hatched. She immediately came to the incubator's front pane, looked at us and talked to us after hatching.
When they were in their first brooder, a modified self build terrarium, she always jumped up onto the rail when we opened the sliding doors. She was the only one who did this. Later in the big brooder she always jumped on the edge and then on my arm or shoulder. So sweet. She was the most active one, we always joked when they freeranged: she runs ten times more than anyone else. She was the first one catching a worm. It was such a huge worm - that picture of tiny Herzchen running around carrying proudly that giant worm...and she ate him!
The adventurous, funny story I wanted to share was also about her. My mom was with them. Suddenly she saw Herzchen carrying around something. She went over and realized Herzchen was carrying a mouse, the tail in her beak, the body dangling. Then my mom realized the mouse was alive! She caught Herzchen, who didn't want to let that mouse go! She held Herzchen over the chicken fence and shaked her carefully till she let the mouse fall. Little Herzchen, our big huntress...I had to weight Herzchen because of the Baycox treatment - yesterday she had 490 grams (1,08 pound)... My dad, who also liked her very much always called her 'Tiny'.
Herzchen was the only one with light skin and green-silver feet, and she did have beautiful golden eyes. Her little face was yellow. Her tiny wattles were light rose-orange. I think one of her parents must have been a Cuckoo Silkie, because of her light skin. The other parent must have been red or buff or yellow, because she was kind of an orange Cuckoo. You could see all the little red-golden stripes, looking a bit like those from red kittens, in the sunlight.

I always tried to avoide to have a favorite because of several reasons. Of course I have red here on BYC several posts where owners mourned the loss of their favorite and many posts saying it is always the favorites to die (first). I remember one post where a mother wrote her little daughter always says loudly 'I don't like this chick very much' to "hide" this is her favorite and because she is so afraid therefore the chick will have to die...
I have to admit Herzchen was my favorite.
Once, before my babies hatched, I posted on here that kind of a secret wish of mine was to own a little Cuckoo hen one day... I was so surprised when I realized Herzchen was kind of a red-orange Cuckoo. But by that time she was my favorite anyway, because of her being so extremely sweet, funny and brave, so friendly. Her sweet little voice...
I'm so glad Herzchen was my little hen and we shared the time we did have together. I hope she enjoyed her short life with us. We wanted her to be happy all the time.
Love is forever...

Little Herzchen:

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I am so truly sorry and saddened by the news of the loss of your sweet Herzchen. Sounds like she had a big personality for such a small bird.
It is obvious how much you love your chickens. She was a very special girl and I am sure she had a good life with you as long as she did.
Sounds like you did your absolute best to get your birds diagnosed and treated for the coccidiosis. Unfortunate it is so difficult to get the medication for them there.
Hopefully the others will recover fully. If you have not already done so, you can see if they will eat some plain scrambled eggs. No salt or milk/liquids added. Just plain. My birds seem to really like this when they are feeling unwell.
Can you buy medicated chick feed in Germany? It has medication in it to prevent cocci, will not help if they already have it, but may be worth givng them to prevent future occurences until they all get a bit older.
Please keep us posted on your remaining sweeties.

 

[Chickeria]

I am so truly sorry and saddened by the news of the loss of your sweet Herzchen. Sounds like she had a big personality for such a small bird.
It is obvious how much you love your chickens. She was a very special girl and I am sure she had a good life with you as long as she did.
Sounds like you did your absolute best to get your birds diagnosed and treated for the coccidiosis. Unfortunate it is so difficult to get the medication for them there.
Hopefully the others will recover fully. If you have not already done so, you can see if they will eat some plain scrambled eggs. No salt or milk/liquids added. Just plain. My birds seem to really like this when they are feeling unwell.
Can you buy medicated chick feed in Germany? It has medication in it to prevent cocci, will not help if they already have it, but may be worth givng them to prevent future occurences until they all get a bit older.
Please keep us posted on your remaining sweeties.

Thank you so much for your kind words, LadiesAndJane
And thank you for your advice with the plain scrambled eggs, after I read your post I immediately went and made a scrambled egg. I always gave them chopped cooked eggs, since they were babies, but never a scrambled one. Sadly Roberta only ate very little. But she ate several mini pieces with some crushed hemp. This girl somehow prefers to eat very small things like crushed hemp, millet, wheat meal. She loves to search for such little pieces when being healthy. I'm very concerned about her. She made the same helpless little peep Herzchen did yesterday and today. But she drinks well and stays with the group and didn't sleep all the day, so I have a bit hope left.
I then gave the scrambled egg to the others and they all loved it! Maku devoured it and all the cockerells went crazy about it.
Yes, medicated chick feed can be bought in Germany, I will inform myself, thank you for telling me.
...Yeah, so unfortunate.
So many 'I wished...' 's. I wished I hadn't vaccinated (basic immunization, vaccine given orally with drinking water) them one week before on Saturday against Newcastle disease (here in Germany unfortunately one is obliged by law to vaccine your chickens against it) - I'm sure the vaccination disturbed their immune system. I wished there hadn't been this wet, rainy, extremely humid and warm weather the last week. I wished I hadn't fed them so many fruits and vegetables (and so adding even more humidity, regarding 'wet' poop). I wished the vet would have done the float test while we were there, we could have waited the next hour or so, and I wished she would have given us the results and the medication directly on Friday. And there are some more I wished's...but it is too late and I can't change those things. I couldn't force the vet (and I know I should be thankful that I got the medication on Saturday and not on Monday as she had said initially). I can't turn back time... It's sad.
It came to my mind that the little hemp pieces Herzchen spit out were from Friday when we drank coffee with the little ones. We have three chairs and a small table in the chickenfence area and when the weather allows it we drink our coffee there. The little ones always get some treats then, like fruits and crushed hemp spread on the ground so they have something to search for. We always kept some onto the table to feed Mirabelle, Schorschette, Teddy and Herzchen extra, we take them therefore on our knees because the others, especially Sindbad and Schneemann, chase them away from the treats. That Friday Herzchen already had gotten some, and she had seen where the plate stood. She suddenly jumped-flew with her usual sweet 'Peep!" on my dad's knee and from there she jumped-flew on the edge of the small tray standing on the table with the plate on it and with a proud, sweet "Peep!" she started to eat rapidly. We all laughed. So cute and smart and brave.

I hope with all my heart that my dear little Roberta will pull through and she and everyone else will recover.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Hi dear friends...sad news from little flock
My little ones do have coccidiosis and today, about four hours ago, my little Herzchen/Little Heart died in my arms or better said in front of my feet because she was flapping and kicking so hard. I'm so sad and I feel so sorry. And I feel guilty because I was not able to prevent it and to protect them from it, and especially her, who has now lost her life, way too soon.
Sorry this will be a longer post...
4 days ago something adventurous and kind of funny happened in my little flock, and I wanted to tell you all about it, but then I didn't have the time to come on board. At the time everything still was ok...
The day before yesterday, Friday, I noticed some strange dark red patches in the bedding in the morning. I went to tell and to fetch my mom, and I thought: hopefully not coccidiosis. When we came back there was so much fresh blood everywhere...so we thought somebody must be injured. We immediately started to check everybody when I noticed Brioche was standing in the cardboard box house which had never been the case before - and so I knew it was Brioche. We took her out and I expected a tore off toe or something like that. But then I found a bloody clot in her behind's fluff. We separated her. When directly starting cleaning their area I noticed Maku had exactly a same bloody clot in his behind's fluff. Now I was pretty sure it could be coccidiosis. I put Maku together with Brioche and called the vets the owners of the chickens my mom and I visit daily had told me own chickens and treat chickens (I wasn't very happy to do so because about 15 years ago we went there with our tortoises and weren't happy and confinced about the way they dealt with our animals, and so we never went there again - but finding a vet who treats chickens is so difficult, so...) I asked on the phone if I could bring them a poop sample and if they would sell me the medication if coccidiosis would be verified (sadly in my country you can't get Corid and always need a vet for prescriptions). The vet told me they already do have enough customers and patients and don't take anybody new in - she refused to help my little ones while knowing no other vet in this towns treats chickens... Never ever I will try those vets again. I tried another vet hoping to get the poop sample checked to be able to plan further steps. They told me they don't do chickens but could send in the poop sample in a laboratory. But if coccidiosis would be verified they wouldn't be allowed to prescribe the needed medication (due to laws in my country a vet needs special certifications to treat chickens and most don't have this) - they wanted to help, but they couldn't. So I waited till the farer away vet our vet from the vet clinic had recommended to us to be specialized in birds opened and was reachable. Maku and Brioche both pooped a lot of blood and slept the most time huddled together. They didn't want to eat and drink, but when I offered fluids on a little plastic spoon they drank. I mixed some electrolytes after a recipe I had found somewhere and gave this to them regularly. Then I could reach the vet. They said we could bring over the poop, she would test it and we could get the medication from them if needed. So thankfully my dad drove with me (I don't own a car) half an hour to the vet. I gave her the poop sample and the vet said: call me on Monday, then I will have the results, today I'm so busy I won't have time to do the floating. My chin dropped under my mask. I pleaded her to please do it earlier because two of my little ones are lethargic and pooping a lot of blood. She said I will see, call me on 6 pm. So we had to drive home without knowing if it is c. and without medication. On 6 pm I was told on the phone they do have c. and we can come and fetch the medication the next morning. In the evening I saw Maku eat. My mom saw Brioche eat. We put Maku and Brioche back to the others to sleep together as always knowing they all would need the same treatment. Both started drinking that evening. The next morning both of them were alert, drinking, eating, preening. Gold colored Brioche looked as if never there had been blood clotches - totally clean. Maku crowed together with the other cockerells. They both clearly felt better. But now Herzchen and Roberta had blood on their behinds' fluffs, were lethargic and refused to drink and eat. We fetched the medication - Baycox - and put it in the waterer. Roberta started to drink, Herzchen refused. I gave her little amounts from the plastic spoon. When I took her up she always made a little weak peep. She later on hid in the tiny cardboard house stuffed with scratched in bedding never anyone had went inside before. This gave me a bad feeling. But then she came out by herself, so I had confidence again. Roberta and Herzchen slept a lot, nearly all the time. One moment my mom thought Roberta was dead because she was flattened out so much. Herzchen started to drink in the evening and I was so relieved. This morning she refused again. I tried so often, gave her drop by drop. I could see the skin between her toes was creased because of the lack of fluids. I gave her some little pieces of soaked pellets in her beak which was kind of force-feeding She was weak. She had difficulties to stand and slept all the time. I had a bad feeling. When I fed all the others a chopped cooked egg and made our 'food call' she came running over and then stood in front of the plate, doing nothing, it was heartbreaking. Then she went to the waterer and drank, for the first time by herself this day, and I got new hope. When I fetched her to give her some more fluids I heard drops hitting the ground. Then I realized there came a huge amount of fluids and some tiny pieces of food from Friday (little pieces of hemp) out of her crop, and there was a sour smell... I think her digestiv system had collapsed at this point. Her crop felt soft and kind of filled with fluids, which I couldn't understand because she had taken in not enough fluids. My mom held her when I tried to give her medicated water again (we were on the terrace because there was better light and I wanted to see exactly I was only giving her drops at the peak of her beak to take in by herself because I was so afraid to suffocate her). I think at this point she was too weak to swallow anything. I don't know if it was fluids from the crop, or the drops I was trying to give her - from what I saw I think my dear little girl suffocated. It was horrible and unbelievably sad.
The moment she had died it started raining. My dear, dear little Herzchen.
My mom shoveled Herzchen's grave. She is now with little number 13 who developped fully but never pipped. And the babies from my friend that never hatched.

I hope all the others will recover. Schneeman/Snowman also had bloody poop yesterday but acts normal all the time (eating, drinking, being active). There must at least be someone else with bloody poop, but I couldn't identify who it is till now. I'm very worried about Roberta - she doesn't eat much (nearly nothing). But she doesn't hide at the moment, preens herself, is drinking and in the group.

Herzchen was such a special little girl. Always the tiniest although she was the first one who hatched. She immediately came to the incubator's front pane, looked at us and talked to us after hatching.
When they were in their first brooder, a modified self build terrarium, she always jumped up onto the rail when we opened the sliding doors. She was the only one who did this. Later in the big brooder she always jumped on the edge and then on my arm or shoulder. So sweet. She was the most active one, we always joked when they freeranged: she runs ten times more than anyone else. She was the first one catching a worm. It was such a huge worm - that picture of tiny Herzchen running around carrying proudly that giant worm...and she ate him!
The adventurous, funny story I wanted to share was also about her. My mom was with them. Suddenly she saw Herzchen carrying around something. She went over and realized Herzchen was carrying a mouse, the tail in her beak, the body dangling. Then my mom realized the mouse was alive! She caught Herzchen, who didn't want to let that mouse go! She held Herzchen over the chicken fence and shaked her carefully till she let the mouse fall. Little Herzchen, our big huntress...I had to weight Herzchen because of the Baycox treatment - yesterday she had 490 grams (1,08 pound)... My dad, who also liked her very much always called her 'Tiny'.
Herzchen was the only one with light skin and green-silver feet, and she did have beautiful golden eyes. Her little face was yellow. Her tiny wattles were light rose-orange. I think one of her parents must have been a Cuckoo Silkie, because of her light skin. The other parent must have been red or buff or yellow, because she was kind of an orange Cuckoo. You could see all the little red-golden stripes, looking a bit like those from red kittens, in the sunlight.

I always tried to avoide to have a favorite because of several reasons. Of course I have red here on BYC several posts where owners mourned the loss of their favorite and many posts saying it is always the favorites to die (first). I remember one post where a mother wrote her little daughter always says loudly 'I don't like this chick very much' to "hide" this is her favorite and because she is so afraid therefore the chick will have to die...
I have to admit Herzchen was my favorite.
Once, before my babies hatched, I posted on here that kind of a secret wish of mine was to own a little Cuckoo hen one day... I was so surprised when I realized Herzchen was kind of a red-orange Cuckoo. But by that time she was my favorite anyway, because of her being so extremely sweet, funny and brave, so friendly. Her sweet little voice...
I'm so glad Herzchen was my little hen and we shared the time we did have together. I hope she enjoyed her short life with us. We wanted her to be happy all the time.
Love is forever...

Little Herzchen:

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I'm so sorry. I know that sorry isn't enough, most people don't know it, but a chicken can get very close to someone's heart... It's so devastating when we lose them.
I hope you can save your flock

 

[Chickeria]

I'm so sorry. I know that sorry isn't enough, most people don't know it, but a chicken can get very close to someone's heart... It's so devastating when we lose them.
I hope you can save your flock

Thank you so much PippinTheChicken Your words are so true - they can get so close and they can become our joy and loosing them means life will never be the same.
Thank you, I hope with all my heart they will feel better tomorrow, especially Roberta. I'm so afraid for Roberta.

 

[Chickeria]

It seems Roberta is feeling better today. She is with the group (she only separated herself one time today), is alert, preens very often (her behind's fluff looked awful yesterday, like lazy cloaca or how this condition is called, today everything is dry and the fluff is nearly its normal color again and nearly as fluffy as it should be), doesn't sleep more than the others, she is drinking and - she ate about a well filled tablespoon of a mix of scrambled egg, cooked potatoe, cooked carrots, a little bit organic yoghurt, her beloved crushed hemp and some sesam seeds. And a few dried mealworms. So all this are good signs, but I'm still cautious. The others all seem to be well and act totally normal, all behinds are super fluffy and clean. Some poops still look a bit weird, but a lot better than the days before.
But I'm still cautious.
I'm always thinking about my dear Herzchen. Today I read Baycox makes them tired and listless. I think I should have left her more by herself. When I took her out for the last time she still stood - with her little face in the corner, but she stood. If I hadn't taken her out her crop would not have spilled. If I hadn't taken her out she wouldn't have aspirated. I still see her walk to the waterer and drink after I made the 'food call'. I just should have let her rest.
I'm so sad.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

It seems Roberta is feeling better today. She is with the group (she only separated herself one time today), is alert, preens very often (her behind's fluff looked awful yesterday, like lazy cloaca or how this condition is called, today everything is dry and the fluff is nearly its normal color again and nearly as fluffy as it should be), doesn't sleep more than the others, she is drinking and - she ate about a well filled tablespoon of a mix of scrambled egg, cooked potatoe, cooked carrots, a little bit organic yoghurt, her beloved crushed hemp and some sesam seeds. And a few dried mealworms. So all this are good signs, but I'm still cautious. The others all seem to be well and act totally normal, all behinds are super fluffy and clean. Some poops still look a bit weird, but a lot better than the days before.
But I'm still cautious.
I'm always thinking about my dear Herzchen. Today I read Baycox makes them tired and listless. I think I should have left her more by herself. When I took her out for the last time she still stood - with her little face in the corner, but she stood. If I hadn't taken her out her crop would not have spilled. If I hadn't taken her out she wouldn't have aspirated. I still see her walk to the waterer and drink after I made the 'food call'. I just should have let her rest.
I'm so sad.

It was not your fault! you wanted her to enjoy herself outside that day, at least she spent her last moments outside, in the fresh air. She was probably so thankful for how much you cared about her