Whats wrong with me? :(

[chicmom]

I'm wondering if there isn't some kind of disease in your outdoor coop/run that could be killing some of your birds. Can you possibly sanitize your coop really well before you put any new ones in it? (I've never had to do that--it's probably a pain in the tush.)

If you really love silkies, may I suggest you just buy some hatchery birds and have them vaccinated for Mareks? So they may not be gorgous show quality, but you'll have great pets!

Hugs and sorry for your bad luck!
Sincerely,
Sharon

 

[Msbear]

KK, I don't mean to sound negative but, I have seen many of your posts where you're stressed about losing all of your birds; all of your mfc's, an entire polish flock and now all these silkies and more I cannot recall... I really think you need to go back to the very basics and find the real problem.

1) chickens need adequate shelter from rain and cold ESPECIALLY some of these more fragile breeds. I've seen posts where "they went out in the rain and died" If it's freezing cold out and they're still young, DON'T LET THEM OUT! If you see them standing in the rain and getting chilled... maybe they're new to that coop? or afraid of other chickens in the coop? whatever, bring them in and put them under a light.

2) chickens cannot be left to fend for themselves with the flock until they are at least 4 months old. They can be with other juvies the same size but, they will get pecked/stomped to death if they are in with the adults. And they can't be left outside until 6 weeks.

3) checkens need acess to clean food and water at all times and need their housing to have clean, dry litter. Im not making accusations... just stating the basics. It sounds like you have a serios problem and I don't want to assume this is understood. If the food get wet and mixes with wet poo, bacteria can thrive. Some hardier breeds may survive while your more "fragile" breeds will die.

Finally, I really think you need to stick with the hardier breeds til you get this all figured out. Many of us lose birds for one reason or another but, your situation has gone way past that. I think purchasing anymore fancy chickens would only lead to more heartache and it just isn't fair to the birds.

Good Luck and I hope you get it figured out.

btw, many of your posts involve wet/muddy/rainy conditions as the culprit. Try starting there. Keep coops and litter dry. Keep dainty breeds up when it's been rainy for 3 days. Make sure food is dry.

 

[KinderKorner]

Everyone is being helpful but most of the info said I do already know. I've been raising chickens for years. I have nice coops. My silkies are seperated in their own lovely coop. These are vaulted skull silkies.

Everyone is really taking this the wrong way. My posts may make me sound to be some hick farmer that doesn't care for her birds but that isn't so.

This is a brand new coop. No Diease. Silkies only.

The reason these silkeis were outside is because they are with a broody. They have clean water, unlimited food. The coop is dry. So is the run. Broody brought them outside the coop for the first time yesterday. She took them back in at night. I made sure they were all safe and sound.

I think they may of just got up and exploring early this morning and went outside. My broody silkies are still 'brooding' invisible eggs along with their chicks. So most of the time they just sit there while their chicks run around. My guess is the chicks went outside without mommy and couldn't figure out how to get back in. They were only a couple feet from the door.

They didn't drown in mud. They just got rained on and got cold.

The MFC died from several things. 4 got eaten by a raccon, 1 drown in the goat waterer, 1 got wet and died. It was just rare accidents. It wasn't due to lack of food, water, or shelter.


The polish drown while I was on vacation during an inland hurricain. Again not my fault. There were 3 months old. So it wasn't like they were little chicks.

Honestly my birds get the best of care. ALL have clean housing and water.

I wish I didn't come across as sounding like I have an unhealthy and un cared for flock.

 

[KinderKorner]

These silkies are babied thats what I don't understand. They live in a fort knox coop. Nothing comes in nothing comes out.

Back when it was still being built.

I took the mud into consideration when I built their coop. I wanted them to be up out of it. So I made the floor wooden in the middle, and wire bottom off the ground on both sides. But after a while I decided I didn't want them walking on wire. So I took most of it out. And made a large sand box for them to play in. It stays dry. It's not like they are living in mud and diease infested areas. The inside coop is cleaned every few days.

The blue pair died before they even made it to the pen. They were seperated because I do Bio-Securtity here. They were in a very large rabbit hutch type pen. Which kept them out of the rain, predators, sickness. These deaths really aren't my fault. It's weird random stuff. I just don't see how I could be so unlucky.

The only thing I can think of that would keep them safer is if they were inside an inclosed building, each with it's own cage so they can't peck each other. Which isn't even letting them be a chicken.

I don't know.

I've never really had a problem with my whites. I have a flock of 5 wonderful and healthy birds. Never been sick or had trouble. Why are the B/B/S so much worse off. Same conditions.

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

Maybe you could post some pictures of your coop inside and out from different angles. Maybe there is something someone can "see" that you might have missed.

I learned the hard way with silkie babies and their mommas. I keep them under roof in their own individual spaces until momma is ready to go back in with the flock and still keep the babies under roof in their own areas for another month or so depending on the weather.

 

[Lotsapaints]

First I'm sorry for your loss I understand the feeling. I don't have expensive SQ Silkies (they probably are expensive) I have always kept them in a covered run they do not do well when wet and a broody with chicks should never be left where they can just go outside when they want you should let them out when it's nice and put them up every night. Right now I have silkie chicks in with Midget White turkeys and they sleep together as the Delawares they are in with are way too rowdy after everyone is 3 weeks old they'll be separated but even in CA they weather has been very warm then very cool I don't want to lose any birds if I can. I'm sure you mean well with your babies but if you keep them in a coop that you open to the outside everyday and close up every night you should have better luck. That way you have more control over what might happen JMTCW.

 

[darkmatter]

I never had any luck with Silkies. I had read that they were good broodys for hatching other eggs, so I've tried them----every one of them every time died off before living long enough to even try hatching eggs. Meanwhile my "mutts" thrive and I've been using the occasional mutt broody to hatch eggs of my choice.

 

[nanawendy]

Ah there's nothing wrong with you. You have more guts than I do, I'm afraid to get into the fancy breeds because of the sensitive issues. I also have come to the notion that...Why wear silk slacks when jeans will do. But then I'm a jean kind of girl. Those who wear silk slacks are sure pretty though. What ever you wear HAVE FUN.....

 

[KinderKorner]

I usually do keep broodies in their own pen. But I have 7 broodies at once. With only one broody pen.

I took the four broody silkies eggs away and hoped they would stop sitting.

Well they haven't and it's been weeks. So I decided to give them 3 chicks, hoping once they thought they hatched chicks that they would stop sitting. They are still sitting. They took the chicks too. But still refuse to get off their invisible nest. I thought the chicks would be okay because it's a completely enclosed dry area. But apparently I was wrong. I have food and water up in the house for them. They were doing fine.


You can see the inside. It's just a plain open square. With a door and a vent. I usually use pine shaving but I ran out, so hay will do until I get some more tomorrow. I took the nest box out because they never laid in it and would use the floor instead.

You can see the two broody rough looking silkes with the blue baby.

Now I am really torn. I have a batch of new chicks in my house in the brooder. I can stick the last chick in there with them. But I am scared he will get picked on cause he is alone. Or that since he is so much bigger he will squash the smaller silkie chicks, or that since he has been outside that he will bring in more 'grown up germs' to the new chicks. What do I do with the litte loner. The silkies aren't being very good mothers because they are concentrating on their invisible eggs. But no one is picking on him.

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

I see we posted within a minute of each other.

One spring I had to gather my white silkies with a net as their set-up was much like yours (they had outside shelter under their coop) for 5 1/2 weeks to put them to bed at night. It was the ramp. They could get down, no problem in the morning, but just couldn't figure out how to go to bed at night. I have one pen that after 3 years, I still have to have the blue light come on just before dusk so they will go in. If the power is out, they require assistance getting in safely.

One of the things that make them so endearing in their vulnerablilty.