loss of silkies

A few months back I lost 2 silkies and now I have another they just go off their feed and just sit and die basically. Have tried antibiotics. This one was fine a couple of days ago and now siting in a cage and just kind of moving her head a little back and forth, not eating or drinking just sitting there. Any ideas or suggestions?

How old are the silkies?
Did the feel thin and light?
Did you examine the poop of the sick birds, was it normal?

   

Botulism is from toxic mold. Often the mold grows on grains(ie: wheat, corn, etc). That is why you don't want any chicken feed to stay damp and get molded. If you catch it early you can do a quick system flush. 1 teaspoon of epson salt dissolved into 1 ounce of water. Put 2-8 CC into the crop of the bird depending on size. A few hours later give a couple CC of molasses. Start them on vitamin water and any food that they will eat. I had a group of chicks get into some hidden molded food a couple years ago. I lost 3, but managed to save the other 7. A chick recovers faster then an adult. They also die faster from it if you don't catch it in time. An adult can take several weeks to fully recover. Just keep them eating, drinking, and safe. Some never fully 100% recover, it just depends on how much damage was done. wrote:

Are they older birds or just young ones?

I find silkies to be very prone to Mareks. Since they don't move much anyway, you don't notice as easily. The Mareks affects their legs and prevents them from getting food and they just waste away.

Mine didn't show anything like the video. She was just standing around not too active, I brought her in the house and gave her antibiotics, food etc then she just laid or sat normally, stood ok no paralyisis. By this morning she was dead just laying upright.  Couldn't find any molded grain anywhere's.  Did have a scare with what we thought was Marek's a month or more ago.  But turned out that the chicken had a hurt leg and couldn't stand and in a couple of weeks or less he was back to normal-no paralysis and when you touch around his knee or moved his legs he jumped. She did not lay a egg at all this year.  Checked her to see if egg bound but couldn't feel anything????

I am sorry to hear this happening and I have nothing to offer to you with advice. I think that sometimes little ones just pass, even big ones, and we just don't know why. Sorry to hear, wishes for a good day for you, CynthiaM.

Thank you! It just drives me nuts when you don't know how to help them!