Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[Ponypoor]

Hmm, so that’s the trick, eh? Tell the universe you “want a roo” and it’ll give all pullets. I’m trying this on ALL my next babies

Yep hahaha

I had my one picked out that I knew was a Roo - little Cappy, imagine my surprise! And such a friendly little chickie, she hops up on my lap and takes a snooze I am gong to miss her

I am toying with the idea of trying to keep her (just what I need another chicken ha!).

 

[Ponypoor]

So like most others we are in heat advisory with temps at 100 and feels like 124°.
On top of that I'm treating my flock for coccidia. Ugh - so no electrolytes for them til after Sunday or Monday.
I'm wondering if I could just dip their booties in cool water to wash their bums.
Or would this be risking their ability to regulate body temp in this heat wave and high humidity?
All the girls have icky bums and 1 boy. I'd rather not cut it out...but will if better for them so as not to get fly strike now.

Not that hot here but extremely humid, I water down the dirt outside for them to walk in and dig in - cool their little feet which helps cool their body.

I would for sure wash their wee derrières and trim the feathers away from their bums.

Last summer one of my EE hens had a serious molt, she lost all her feathers!! She was actually nice and cool, not panting, she was the one who was most happy not roasting with her glorious feathers. So I wouldn’t worry about her not being able to regulate her temp.

I have never had/seen coccidiosis what was the first symptoms you saw?

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Not that hot here but extremely humid, I water down the dirt outside for them to walk in and dig in - cool their little feet which helps cool their body.

I would for sure wash their wee derrières and trim the feathers away from their bums.

Last summer one of my EE hens had a serious molt, she lost all her feathers!! She was actually nice and cool, not panting, she was the one who was most happy not roasting with her glorious feathers. So I wouldn’t worry about her not being able to regulate her temp.

I have never had/seen coccidiosis what was the first symptoms you saw?

That's just the thing...the symptoms were more eating a lot but not gaining weight so I thought maybe tape worms.
I mean don't most chickens with all these feathers that are being mated end up with nasty bums?
So I'm not sure if I caught it early and that's why no other symptoms or not. Even with this heat they've been pretty active til Wednesday when 5 were layin around more so. But vet said mild case so thankful for that!

 

[Elliemae1984]

I have a question about my first time broody hen….why is she such a jerk to my other hen now?!?

When she gets off her nest to eat, drink, etc, she beelines it for my other hen and pecks at her. She’ll do it a number of times before she goes back to her nest. Before her broodiness she was the sweetest thing and was never aggressive to the other hen (who is very meek and tiny). Is this just a pecking order thing?

She’s been broody about 22/23 days now, I have eggs hatching on the 5th and day olds arriving on the 3rd/4th so I can slip some under her. Will she be even meaner when the babies are in her care?

She’s never once messed with the rooster lol.

 

[CSolis]

That's just the thing...the symptoms were more eating a lot but not gaining weight so I thought maybe tape worms.
I mean don't most chickens with all these feathers that are being mated end up with nasty bums?
So I'm not sure if I caught it early and that's why no other symptoms or not. Even with this heat they've been pretty active til Wednesday when 5 were layin around more so. But vet said mild case so thankful for that!

I had some chicks pass from it, due to symptoms showing up rather late in the game. All of the chicks were from eggs out of the same pen but different parents. Dang stuff lives in the ground and wet ground is worse! Way worse. Drying out helps, as well as sunshine on the ground. I'm treating the pair and their recently hatched little flock at emergency dose for 5 days, then I'll keep it going at normal dosage. At least with some help I can move that pen to a new location. Warm water with epsom salts will clean their bums, and trays with water (not wetting the ground per say) should give them something to stomp around in. I like using large tub trays (shallow and easy to clean), filling them several times a day.
It was 98.7 here yesterday, and supposed to be 100 today. All my pens are well ventilated and shaded. I may just used frozen elderberries in smaller trays for entertainment.

 

[Ponypoor]

That's just the thing...the symptoms were more eating a lot but not gaining weight so I thought maybe tape worms.
I mean don't most chickens with all these feathers that are being mated end up with nasty bums?
So I'm not sure if I caught it early and that's why no other symptoms or not. Even with this heat they've been pretty active til Wednesday when 5 were layin around more so. But vet said mild case so thankful for that!

Hmmm - sounds very vague I can see how it would be hard to spot. And add in hot weather when they all just lay around half buried in the sand.... ya I can see how it would be next to impossible to spot. But glad you did!

 

[Ponypoor]

I had some chicks pass from it, due to symptoms showing up rather late in the game. All of the chicks were from eggs out of the same pen but different parents. Dang stuff lives in the ground and wet ground is worse! Way worse. Drying out helps, as well as sunshine on the ground. I'm treating the pair and their recently hatched little flock at emergency dose for 5 days, then I'll keep it going at normal dosage. At least with some help I can move that pen to a new location. Warm water with epsom salts will clean their bums, and trays with water (not wetting the ground per say) should give them something to stomp around in. I like using large tub trays (shallow and easy to clean), filling them several times a day.
It was 98.7 here yesterday, and supposed to be 100 today. All my pens are well ventilated and shaded. I may just used frozen elderberries in smaller trays for entertainment.

Sorry to hear about your chicks, they so very fragile

You can also freeze them in ice cube trays in water - gives them something to peck at - highly entertaining for me! And you can even freeze larger sized - lots of fun!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Well I just ran with it and washed and trimmed all their booties!
About 4 of em had a little skin irritation so I sprayed em with Veritcyn really well!

 

[HuffleClaw]

Awww so cute I can see she is completed spoilt rotten - what a cutie pie do you trim their topknots? I note that my 9 week old chicks are in need of a trim, but they are so tiny I am just terrified to trim them! But I need them to be able to see when they are running around - one ran into my leg today, going to have to trim them I guess (terrifying thought - but they are so quiet maybe they will just sit there if I fill them with mealworms hahaha).

I did really good job trimming their co-broody mamas when they were sitting there all broody. I hauled them off the nest and pretty much took their feathers back to the scalp - she didn't even move! It was great they could see really well. This was even better than doing it at night when they are supposedly snoozing. Wish my Roo would go broody so I can trim him up while he is in a trance and no scream like I am murdering him - wonder what my neighbours think of that noise hahahaha!

I never trimmed them when I had silkies. Unfortunately I don’t have any chickens anymore, just 5 ducks and a goose lol.

 

[Ponypoor]

I never trimmed them when I had silkies. Unfortunately I don’t have any chickens anymore, just 5 ducks and a goose lol.

I try to trim mine regularly they roam here so they need to see where they are going, otherwise they get lost, and run into things! I know I shouldn't laugh, but when they run into the one in front of them (usually the butt) it's just too funny - the one in front jumps, and squawks

My polish Roo also gets a good trimming so he can see.