Rose has virtually risen from the dead. This morning she was just lifeless after I bathed her. Couldn't raise her head, or eat, and even her feet were curling like a dead bird. I felt if I didn't get her to the vet she would surely die. I do believe she would have too.
At 3:30 we got into the vet in Amarillo that treats birds. He gave her a bit of ivermectin orally and then took her back and gave her some kind of fluid under the skin for hydration. They gave me some syringes to feed her for the next four days in case she didn't start eating.
Right now, it's 10 pm and I can hardly believe it. She is standing and pecking around for food and water. What a miracle.
The vet said birds recover very quickly once the problem is discovered and they are treated. I told him I had "chicken guilt". He said, "Don't beat yourself up too badly".
They asked her name and I proudly wrote Rose.
I love silkies
Oh that's wonderful. I am really happy for you and Rose!
This morning I thought her chances of living through the day were about 5%. Of course she still needs a lot of care and nourishment. This is not over.
Thanks Porkpal, I am too, and I don't even begrudge the vet his fee.
Great news so happy for you
This morning she is sitting up and looking like a little princess. Last night she discovered how good watermelon is. Her appetite is back, thank God. I can hardly believe she is going to be okay. I was already beginning to grieve her death, just to prepare myself. Now she lives.
Maybe this can be a lesson to others as well. Those little mites are so hard to see, but if you bathe them and see tiny black flecks floating, those are mites and are DANGEROUS to your birds.
The vet gave her Ivermectin. I had read before that Ivermectin kills internal parasites and mites on birds. I just wasn't thinking yesterday. I think she really needed the hydration he gave her too.
After I bathed her she was absolutely cold and lifeless, even though I was using a hair dryer to dry her and had her by the heater. She wouldn't even move. It was AWFUL. The vet said she had lost a lot of blood and it would take awhile to build her back up.
So, if your chickens are losing weight slowly and not laying, check for mites. This is a hard lesson, I really could have lost her. Hopefully she can recover fully.
Now I have to start treating my other birds and making sure they are safe.
"Chicken guilt" is hard to bear.
Awww, poor baby! You and Rose, LFJ.
Hmmmm, Ivermectin, how did the vet administer it? was it an oral dose or injected? Ive seen it on the shelf at Wally world for horses but not for chickens. Can this be gotten at a feed and seed or only by vet? Ive never had a problem with mites, but one time, that was with a setting Hen (Chickopea) and I dusted her and her broody box and took care of the problem. But now Im wondering if maybe I should go ahead and medicate or dust everyone!
I have always been against chemicals of any kind plus the fact that Im very allergic to them all. But if I could inject a wormer I think that would work better!
He gave it to her orally and said she wouldn't like it because it tasted bad. She shook her head a few times. I used to give Ivermectin to my dogs. I bought it from Foster and Smith, before I had internet. They sell all kinds of vet supplies and was the only source I had at the time. I vaccinated my own dogs and cats. The cattle wormer was safe to give to the dogs they said, and told me the amount to administer.
I also am against chemicals and most pharmaceuticals, but this was an emergency. I have ordered a natural product called "Poultry Protector". I read it is good, and several of the hatcheries sell it.
I nearly bought a bottle of Poultry and swine wormer to add to their water, but stopped. I dont even remember the brand name right off hand but it recommended not slaughtering for up to 14 days and NOT to use for chickens producing eggs for human consumption at any time....... so No liquid wormer!
I am so glad you bathed her and found the mites! What a blessing that was! I'm happy for you AND Rose!
Someone else on here was loosing chicks to mites.. Can't remember who it was right now.. how sad!
Yes, they all get mites, and they are very dangerous.. and near impossible to see!! Even with my glasses I rarely see them on the birds.. I just dust them regularly as a precaution.
I think I have another broody,she has sat all day today,DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SPLASH SILKIE EGGS FOR SALE?
Not right now, but maybe someday. I have two splash hens that are fairly nice, and two splash roosters, one with a BIG comb, and one with really no spots at all. : They are not together though. Wish I could help, but can't. I was asking around for a show quality blue or black, but getting nowhere. The splashes need to be bred back to blue and black to keep the splash with definitive spots, or so I've been told.
Z, it was me that lost baby chicks to mites several years ago. I thought because this hen and rooster were not exposed to any of my other chickens and were not outside that they were pest free I guess. I'm learning, and have products coming that should fight this fight of the mites. yuck Please don't blame yourself, if it was anyone's fault, it was my own. I just wasn't taking it seriously when I felt how light she was, I just said to myself, she is a little hen. I should have been paying more attention. You should see her right now, with her face all red with watermelon juice and her hair up in a bun. She's doing very well. The vet wants to see her back in two weeks. Gee, but at least she's alive, and I am so grateful for that! She may have me some babies yet.
This is so cute,went out to lock everyone up for the night,and looked in the silkie coop and I have a white silkie pullit that is broody as of today and she took Jadee`s corner.Jadee has six kids and herself and this corner is only about 10 inches,so they all piled on top of the white one,babies were stickng out everywhere and Jadee is on top.Poor white one !but she`s not moving so I would say she is definately broody wouldn`t you?
Yes, she looks very intense there, and Jadee doesn't look any too happy about it. How cute. Thanks for the smile.
LFJ I'm sorry I didn't remember who it was... :( I remember it was intense!
Really, if you have chickens, you have to deal with lice and mites, no matter how sterile their environment.. it's not shameful... it's just how it is. If someone thinks they don't get them, it's usually more like they just don't see them.. or they are not bad enough to cause problems. I believe they ALL get lice & mites! No matter how much we are in denial. LOL Especially if they are broody..
The best part of all of this is that she is bouncing back! Lessons learned... yeah, at the animal's expense, but that is always the case with humans and animals.. I'm just happy for her! :)
I am glad for her too. I actually was spraying them lightly every month with a flea spray, and often sprinkled poultry dust on them too. Guess that just wasn't enough. From what I read the Northern Fowl Mite is the worst one they can have.
I am not that gung ho on chemicals and pharmaceuticals but I ordered Ivermectin and will treat them with 4 drops orally, and then again in two weeks. Probably will mix it with olive oil. That's the best information I could come up with online. People have their own ways, and sometimes do not explain the dosage well. Some place a drop or two on their backs.
The Poultry Protector came a few days ago. It is easy to spray on them, and is nontoxic. Hope it works.
Yes, I'm on a learning curse. :(
Let me know how the poultry protector works,I may order some
I found some silkie eggs on craigs list,only 2 hrs from here.15.00 dollars a dozen and they will meet my dh (truck driver) and give them to him so they don`t have to be in the mail.How great is that?
That is awesome Green! Makes for a much better hatch rate! :)
I used that Adam's Flea and tick that has been highly recommended, but mine still got bugz.. I never looked close enough to find out exactly what kind, it didn't matter to me, what did matter is that that stuff didn't work!
I'm not crazy about chemicals either, but I like lice/mites even less! :)
The newer Adams spray ( which smells much less) is nowhere nearly as effective as the old stuff. Is that what you used?
I know someone used to use Frontline, but I can't find the method...anyone know?
I have no clue if she's broody or just wants an instant family without sitting there for 3 weeks. Sure is a CUTE picture!
I quit using it last year Porkpal.. I don't know which one it was.. Just that I still had a problem and I was sprayin "behinds" every week when they were roosting.. There shouldn't have been anything anywhere.
One of the white babies,they grow so fast
In the Amarillo poultry show last Saturday, I took four birds, two splash and two partridge.
Closer picture of the splashes. I bought the rooster last year when he was six weeks old, and is supposed to be from George's lines. His comb is very large, otherwise I think he's very pretty. The judges liked the cochin better than my silkies, and gave him Best Featherleg. There were only five featherlegs, so my other birds took the other remaining places.
I have been told that the multi-colored silkies never win the show, the only colors that win are white and sometimes black.
I couldn't stay out there in the sun and watch the judging, but I did get to briefly see the other chickens. They had some lovely ones. I esp liked the Cornish and Sumatra. When the sun hits the feathers of the Sumatra, their feathers shine of purples, blues and greens. Fascinating.
The Cornish took the show, and deservedly so. Wish I had taken a picture of her.
They have their own little bantam club there, of which I am now a proud member, by paying $5 dues. :) They also seem to have a great camaraderie and are very friendly.
Here is one last picture of the partridge rooster. His crest is not that good, but I still adore his colors. Some of the silkie breeders are developing calico. I saw a rooster the other day that did not sell, but he was a real beauty. He had six toes though, instead of five.
Beautiful!!!
Wow! They are awesome! Sounds like fun! :)
You are living my retirement dream LFJ. What fun to get out and meet great "Chicken" people and their birds!
Your Chickens are beautiful, they fully deserve awards!
Thanks ya'll. Eufaula it didn't cost anything for the fair in Amarillo last Sept. All I did was send them in a paper telling them what I was bringing, oh and yes the NPIP test had to be done, wash the chickens, and show up. They actually paid us for bringing chickens.
This last one, they charged $4.50 per chicken. I think that was just to pay the judges who drove from New Mexico.
I will probably not go back to this one, as it is outside, which I didn't realize, and this time of year the sunshine can really damage me. Mostly it causes the fluids around my joints to get inflamed, causing swelling and pain. The other day I was in the bathtub and couldn't get out for awhile, because my right shoulder, knee and wrist hurt so badly I couldn't pull myself out. ROFL :) I can laugh because I know it won't last long, and it's just from the sun. Thank God it passes quickly usually. I just have to behave myself and not go outside from 10 am until 7 pm in the summer. Weird way to live, but I have no choice.
Congrats, LFJ, sounds like a great time!
I hope you'll be glad to know little Rosie is up and around eating today. She had two visits to the vet, and on some antibiotics, but she is alive and today finally eating well.
When I thought she was going to die, I bid on a white hen. Here are a few pics of her. Her name is Clarissa.
I took a picture of myself this morning because a lady said she wanted to see a pic of me and I had nothing. Here it is if you want to see.
Well HELLO LFJ!!! So glad to SEE YOU!! Thank you! I think you are beautiful! Love the hair!! Cool.. :) Made me smile.
I like the clever way you got the self-photo (is that a word?).
So nice to meet you
First photo I've posted of myself in 13 years. When I first got online I met this kind of "criminal" man. It was kind of scary, because he had my picture and pictures of my children and knew what town I lived in.