Whats wrong with me? :(

[KinderKorner]

I am sitting her bawling. I love silkies. I've spend hundreds and hundreds buying top quailty birds. But I can never keep them alive.

They have good housing, food, water, care. Yet despite my best efforts one by one they die off.

First purchase I got 6 birds from Sunshine Silkies. One died at shipping. Then another white got pecked by my bantam cochin got wry neck. I cared for it for months. Did the whole vit e, selunim, prednisone, made it special food. It seems to be getting better then one day it just died.

Bought 2 pairs from HarvestBreeze Silkies. Blue rooster got wry neck a few days after shipping. Same deal. After my struggles it died. Blue Hen was fine, then a week later I go out and just find her dead.

Bought a blue pair from Cush N Tush. And a dozen eggs.

Blue hen acted strange from day one. She didn't seem to have wry neck. But she just sat there starinng at the ground. Her crest was so very big I thought she just couldn't see. I trimmed it and tied to back. But it didn't help. She wouldn't eat or walk, or drink, if she did take a step she acted almost drunk and stumbled to one side. I tried again with the medicines for quite a while and lost her too.

4 eggs were fertile. All hatched. One chick got stepped on, got wry neck and died about a week old.

The other three are a few weeks old now. And they were doing great. They had been moved outside because new chicks move dinto my inside brooder. Well this morning and went out to feed. And found the best chick and only splash, plus the other good blue dead in the run. They went outside last night or early morning in the rain and just sat out there and died. I am so upset. I have one chick left, but it doesn't look well either.

I keep getting these beautiful birds. And loosing them. It makes me want to get out of chickens. I can't keep wasting all this money either. I think I've killed more silkies then I have living. What am I doing?

Does anyone else have this problem. I just don't know what to do.

It seems it's always the best ones I loose too. All three of the blue adults were just beautiful. Splash chick was looking perfect, the white rooster that I lost was of course the best of the group and my favorite.

 

[LarryPQ]

First: hugs

Second: Commiseration.

I too, have had issues with silkies. It is like they are magnets for bad luck. And they are too sweet to be mean/smart enough to help themselves.


Third: Problem solving.

Could there be something else going on? Spiders? Toxic plants? Could you have been exposed to Marek's? Maybe not wry neck, but Mareks?

 

[LeezyBeezy]

I am new to this and have absolutely no ideas for you, but sending hugs because losing animals really stinks. Good luck, and I hope someone out ther has answers for you!

 

[KinderKorner]

Thanks for the hugs.

I don't want to offend anyone. I really love silkies. But they are one of the dumbest breeds. They are super sweet, but any bird who isn't smart enough to go back into the coop when it starts raining isn't all there.

My father was wondering why they didn't go extinct already. I told him it was because there are crazy people like me who will hand feed them to keep them alive.

I am positive that wry neck was the problem with most of them. The second blue hen, the breeder thinks she got stepped on in the crate on her way to me, and just got brain damage.

They seem so fragile. They just aren't cut out for tough country life.

I just can't afford to keep replacing $100 birds though. But I still want to raise silkies. I'm so torn.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
That's not limited to silkies. I almost lost three chicks a couple days ago because they sat out in the open under storming rain. And my adults rarely notice when it's raining. Spray the water hose, though, and they think the sky is falling!

I, too, am sorry for your unhappy results.

Maybe raise another breed and see if you have better results? Could build your confidence to tackle the ones you love again - but a bit later.

 

[HeatherLynn]

I don't know if this idea is even feasible but this is what I am working toward. I have one silkie. He/she is not a $100 bird. Actually he is a $1.79 bird but I like him. We do live on a farm and the other birdies are BIG so I cannot put him/her with them. I do have it in with the teenagers right now.

The plan is to build a connected coop to the main run. Perches that are more its size, smaller private nesting boxes, separated food from the others, ability to move the whole thing into the house when the weather changes, and its own private mini run underneath. This also allows me to keep it separated from the others and any new birds or chicks who might not take to it. I can also do a bit of extra control to prevent mites and flies this way also. We are making this large enough were he/she could have a friend or two to keep it company. This isn't something bought but will be build from untreated, locally milled lumber that we can get cheap so it won't cost a fortune to build either. Alot of work for a $1.79 bird but dang its just the cutest thing.

Maybe yours needs a bit of extra separation to rule out environmental sources. Its just an idea. I am by no means experienced but thats what I would try.

 

[organicchef]

sooooo very sorry!!

 

[abanjaf]

Quote:
Hugs to you! Don't give up!!! Maybe you just need to "baby" these babies a bit more. At a few weeks, I don't count on any of my chicks being intelligent enough to get out of the rain Mine learn from example, the adult flock coming in out of the rain and following suit. Also from experience, learning how unpleasant it is to get wet. Silkies are lovely, I don't find them any less intelligent than my other chickens. I have one little hen that runs to me when I call her. So baby them a little longer, you'll be so glad you took the extra effort!

 

[Redcatcher]

If you are spending a lot of money on top quality birds, most of them have vaulted skulls...At least that is what many breeders of top quality silkies aim for. It is believed that birds with vaulted skulls have larger crests. The skulls are open at the top and there is nothing between their brains and the great outdoors except a thin layer skin and feathers. One good peck or bump to the top of their heads can be catastrophic. These types of Silkies are best kept with other Silkies of their kind and away from other breeds of chickens, especially large fowl. If you still want Silkies, I suggest getting some pet quality ones. They are not as attractive (in my opinion) but they are much hardier and more rugged.

 

[redturtle]

i have one lone silkie....a banty....they are kinda dumb...it sat out in the pouring rain...but so did some of the others...i dont know if its a girl or boy yet(hoping girl)
i had to blow him dry because s/he was just laying there cheeping after i brought them in from their tractor....one side is covered(only some of the chixn were smart enuf to go there
hopefully i wont have any problems...i am sorry you are having so many...mine is seven weeks old and i am still babying it