skinny silkie?

[akanalynn]

I have a single white silkie who is about 14/15 weeks old, and she's getting very skinny! I was thinking its because she's alone (her sisters are still too little for full-time cohabitation). She eats, but not near as voraciously as the BR and GLP.

She's all keel, you can see the prominent ridge through her poofy feathers. What can I do?

Is there like, hi-fat chicken protein shake or something???? I love her to death, she's great... I want to be sure she's not gonna kick the bucket!

 

[bantymum]

I have exactly the same problem, though i found that the bigger birds werent letting her get to the food, check yours for this, I had to place mine in her own fattening pen and she is starting to gain.
Good luck
Helen

 

[akanalynn]

She LOOks a lot bigger than the others, but when you feel underneath her feathers, she seems pretty close to the same size.

She has been by herself, so with her own food and stuff. She likes strawberries, spinach, etc... I mean, she has an appetite.

Maybe now that they're all outside together, the companionship will cheer her... Its just so sad!

 

[dlhunicorn]

I would cut out any treats (especially the spinach which really isnt good for them) unless you are sure she will benefit from them (like the occassional cooked eggyolk through her feed to encourage her to eat more or wheatgermoil which provides crucial micronutrients)
Try mixing JUST enough cooked human oatmeal (cooked in water not milk) through her feed to make it clump together and offer live culture yogurt (plain not flavored) free choice.

 

[soctippy]

you could try mixing her food with water to make a kind of dough, chickens love it. And on being lonely, you could try and put her in an area with a common fence to the other chicks so that she can at least socialize through the fence. I hope she does ok.