Wierd Silkie Behavior- HELP!

[FAFPAF]

So my husband and I "rescued" about 10 chickens a week ago, went to see some old guy who was selling them, and ended up buying the birds not because we wanted them, but because I told him there was no way we were leaving them there under those conditions, and ended up paying way too much for them, so needless to say I would like to see them flourish under healthy conditions.
We have them separated from our chickens until I can figure out what exactly is going on...

This is the prob:
3 partridge silkies- The guy didnt know what they were, but I think its a roo and two hens...
Two of them are missing the feathers on their undersides from chin to chest, (they are not showgirls, I asked)
I'm hoping now that we have them under better conditions they will grow back

One of them walks around shaking her head from side to side, almost seizure like...
She will stop for a few minutes, then go right back to it...
I think I may have seen this before, but the hen ended up passing away within a few weeks.


I am no expert, but have been raised around chickens my whole life, so I'm probably one of those people who knows just enough to make me dangerous

Any advice?????

 

[AHappychick]

try boosting their immune system with a probiotioc mash. with silkies I use: 1 part real yogurt, i part shredded apples, i hard boiled egg yolk, 1 crushed up pill of selenium, 3 vitamin e capsuls squeezed in, 1 part starter feed, sqirt of poli-vi-sol, and some butter milk as needed if the mix is too dry. mix it all together till like oatmeal and feed them that for a few days.

also check the shaker for mites around the eyes and vent.

the lack of feathers could be from picking or maybe they are molting, either way it should grow back in time.

Good Luck!

 

[FAFPAF]

Yeah I'm thinking the missing feathers were just rubbed off, they were in a very small cage before we got them, so I'm not too worried about that... it's the whole head shaking thing that concerns me the most....

I have checked them for lice and mites, found some in the back, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary near her head....

Thanks for the recipe... I'll have to try that sometime...

 

[AHappychick]

are any feathers in her eyes or blocking her view? sometimes the mites cluster around the eyes and ears and bother them also. Some just shake their heads so it could be normal but if it is like a siezure I would be concerned. Personally I would try that recipe now as it can only help your new chicks and certainly wont hurt.

 

[suburbanminifarm]

check their ear "holes", mites like to gather there and leave crusty build-up. My other thought is that she could possibly have been pecked on the head on her vaulted skull (?) if she has one...... Is she off balance? She may just recover from this in time with better nutrition and living conditions. Poor things, in a small cage, --cheers to you for saving them!