One silkie chicken died

[SilkiesnowchicksandXmastreecat]

We've just had one of our 3 silkie chickens die , she was one.

Just wondering what the best thing is to do - we took all 3 to vets before to get vaccines but they just said they should have been vaccinated at birth and they couldn't do anything so not sure it's the best vet for chickens. Didn't give us any advice at all and said they didn't know much about chickens.

Should we take the other two to the vets? Is there a place to find a good vet for chickens? The other two are eating and drinking fine and appear well but wouldn't want to take any risks with them. They are normally in a run so no contact with other wildlife.

DS said he noticed the one that died had been sitting inside the coop since it snowed about a week ago (was just for a day) so maybe related to cold /wet. But I looked up cold and it said it shouldn't bother them. We are putting a tarp roof on now and moving the other two to a new bigger chicken house and run we got before but hadn't finished putting up. Just wondered if anyone else knows if there's anything else we should be doing for them. Diet is same as always and they've been here since March, only change I can think of is the snow. Thanks

Have you checked for mites?

They are quite hard to see www.raising-happy-chickens.com/chicken-mites.html

Where do you live OP?

I presume you've seen this thread about avian flu

To warn bird keepers of the new regulations? http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/4097319-To-warn-bird-keepers-of-the-new-regulations

Thanks very much for all the help.

We'ld seen the avian flu and I had ordered tarp to cover run completely to go on new run which we were going to put up today. Their current run is part covered. They have no access to other wildlife and I've checked website and not in high risk area and no symptoms other than off food so don't think it will be that.

Managed to find a chicken vet directory online and there's one 9 miles away so think we will try there, couple of others about 15 miles away more in countryside if that ones not much help either but should be better than our current vets.

We haven't checked for mites, thanks for that, can't see anything but very useful to know for the future so can keep looking.

I think it may have been the snow / wet weather though hard to be certain as their run is part covered and was no snow on the ground but suspect it's the most likely. Will see what vet says. Thanks again.

Hi, sorry to hear about your chicken, I lost my favourite one (an Orpington) in the autumn, so I can sympathise. All mine are un-vaccinated and I suspect we lost ours to Mareks.

Commercial chickens are usually vaccinated as day old chicks (I think) and the problem for small flocks is that the vaccines come in big batches (like thousands), so not economically viable to vaccinate a small number of chickens. With the increasing popularity of pet chickens, this is something that may change in the future.

In terms of chicken vets, I would ring around local practices and ask if any of their vets are interested in/willing to see chickens. The directory is a good place to start too, but I think they list vets/practices who have accredited with them, so there will be others happy to see them too. Vet practices can be pretty hectic places to work, so you may need to book an appointment to see the vet rather than advice being given over the phone. Different vets have different Covid arrangements, and some may offer a tele-consultation service, others may not.

If your others look and feel healthy, there is no need to take them to the vets at the moment (I realise the thread is a few weeks old). Cold weather is unlikely to be the cause, but would hasten the death of an otherwise unwell bird.

Did your chicken show any signs/symptoms before she died?

I recommend both the Chicken Vet website and also Victoria Robert's site/books (Vicvet.com).

Thanks very much. I suspect ours are unvaccinated as well - our vet who doesn't normally do chickens said they would have been vaccinated at a day old but I doubt it. We asked him to vaccinate but he said he couldn't.

The other two seem fine and its been a few weeks now - they are in a new house and run with new hay, feeder etc, new dustbath and new chicken woodchip and are eating drinking going out appear healthy so think we are out of the woods for them.

The chicken that died we still don't know why but it had been living inside the coop and not going out so with hindsight was probably unwell. It's always looked the weakest of the three since we got them in March.

From what I could see the cold doesn't affect them but silkies are very sensitive to wet so maybe the snow caused ground to be wet and then it got an infection but just guessing. We've moved the new house to be on drier land covered it and put woodchip down so it should be more protected. We found a vet that does chickens in the registry 10 miles away which isn't bad at all as we are rural so will use that one in future.

Sorry to hear one of your chickens died too and thanks again.

Could be a respiratory infection....silkies don’t like the wet. If the others are ok I wouldn’t rush them to a vet. Maybe get some apple,cider vinegar to add to their water?

Hope you find the cause and are able to protect the others. Good luck.

Thanks very much, its been 3 weeks now so optimistic but will try the apple cider vinegar thanks.

Respiratory infection a possibility but in my experience egg laying problems such as egg peritonitis are a popular cause of demise. I generally have hybrids, though, so I'm not sure how much of a problem this is with Silkies. Pretty sure all hens hate wet weather, but especially difficult for the soft-feathered breeds.

Your husbandry sounds good, they are lucky chickens. Also worth picking up your chickens and having a good look at them once a week, because they are very good at 'hiding' the early signs of illness. Worth spending time/money on husbandry/set up/food, rather than trips to the vet, in my opinion, but I appreciate others might feel differently.

Thanks very much. Yes I think you are right about that - someone on another thread said they had been keeping chickens for years and every time one ill they take to the vets and the vets can't do anything - they told them as they are prey animals they hide illness as until its too late. I'm just used to using vets for cat and rabbit though other than vaccinating they've never solved anything with them either though another vet helped when cat got kidney issues whilst at a cattery. Though even with that next time we used a cat hotel and no issues.

We are using Flytesofancy and they seem to have very good advice on there, pricey but well worth it.

@SilkiesnowchicksandXmastreecat how did you get on in the end?

I agree with previous poster about set up and good husbandry, I always make sure there is a dry and protected area of the run and feed high protein food plus Critical care formula as soon as I spot one not behaving like a ‘busy’ chicken.

I think it helps to be scrupulous about cleaning too and using ground sanitising powder, good bedding etc.

However I do think sick chickens should be taken to an avian vet, lots don’t but I have saved two with a short course of antibiotics and tube feeding.

It’s very rewarding and you will learn a lot quickly.