Chickendilly
Chirping
- Jun 9, 2025
- 28
- 52
- 59
I am a new chicken owner. I posted a few weeks ago about one of my silkies, who was stumbling around like she was drunk. Here's the original post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-weak-silkie-link-to-videos.1670377/#post-28700726
Here's a link to a podcost from The Poultry Doc, who treated her and saved her life, as I was about to euthanize.
I tried the suggestions that were shared, and she got a little better. Then, I moved all of them from their brooder to their outside run and coop, and she was doing better - still a little wobbly, but able to get in and out of the coop on her own and keep up with her sisters. But, then she started deteriorating and was no longer able to get up the ramp into the coop and was getting trampled a bit by the others (they weren't bullying her, but she'd get kicked if she was behind them and they were scratching). I took her to a vet, which was pretty useless to be honest, and they put her on an anti-inflammatory. I kept her in a crate in the coop at night and in the run with the others during the day. She didn't improve. She was barely standing. I thought for sure I would need to put her down.
I reached out to a local veterinarian who specializes in poultry and is trying to get his podcast and website off the ground. He came out to visit her and assess her. We weren't hopeful. He wasn't hopeful. But he had some ideas of what it could be. He put her on antibiotics for two weeks. She was in the crate almost the whole time with medicated water and feed mixed with the medicated water. We also did some physical therapy. After about a week, I noticed she was standing up a lot more and generally more active in her crate. At about 1.5 weeks, I started letting her out with the others in the run. She was still a little wobbly but SO much better and keeping up with them. By two weeks, I had to chase her around like a fool to catch her to put her in her crate at night so she could still get her meds.
Now, she's out of the crate and fully re-integrated into the (small) flock. She can get in and out of the coop on her own, she keeps up with the others, and she pushes them aside for watermelon. I still keep the crate in the coop, and when she goes in at night, she goes in the crate on her own like a dog.
I was days away from euthanizing her. I am so glad I met Blayne (AKA The Poultry Doc). He literally saved her life.
You can see the podcast about her here:
He's going to do a follow-up episode on her soon. I'll post it when he does so you can see the difference. It's amazing.
I thought I would share some good news!!
Here's a link to a podcost from The Poultry Doc, who treated her and saved her life, as I was about to euthanize.
I tried the suggestions that were shared, and she got a little better. Then, I moved all of them from their brooder to their outside run and coop, and she was doing better - still a little wobbly, but able to get in and out of the coop on her own and keep up with her sisters. But, then she started deteriorating and was no longer able to get up the ramp into the coop and was getting trampled a bit by the others (they weren't bullying her, but she'd get kicked if she was behind them and they were scratching). I took her to a vet, which was pretty useless to be honest, and they put her on an anti-inflammatory. I kept her in a crate in the coop at night and in the run with the others during the day. She didn't improve. She was barely standing. I thought for sure I would need to put her down.
I reached out to a local veterinarian who specializes in poultry and is trying to get his podcast and website off the ground. He came out to visit her and assess her. We weren't hopeful. He wasn't hopeful. But he had some ideas of what it could be. He put her on antibiotics for two weeks. She was in the crate almost the whole time with medicated water and feed mixed with the medicated water. We also did some physical therapy. After about a week, I noticed she was standing up a lot more and generally more active in her crate. At about 1.5 weeks, I started letting her out with the others in the run. She was still a little wobbly but SO much better and keeping up with them. By two weeks, I had to chase her around like a fool to catch her to put her in her crate at night so she could still get her meds.
Now, she's out of the crate and fully re-integrated into the (small) flock. She can get in and out of the coop on her own, she keeps up with the others, and she pushes them aside for watermelon. I still keep the crate in the coop, and when she goes in at night, she goes in the crate on her own like a dog.
I was days away from euthanizing her. I am so glad I met Blayne (AKA The Poultry Doc). He literally saved her life.
You can see the podcast about her here:
He's going to do a follow-up episode on her soon. I'll post it when he does so you can see the difference. It's amazing.
I thought I would share some good news!!
