They are definitely my favorite breed! While it should not cause the silkie any discomfort, a hard peck to this soft spot of the skull can cause damage. Raising fluffy chickens can be fun but they need special care because of their unique feathers. Your email address will not be published. The overall result is a soft, fluffy appearance. Vaccination at day old and again at two weeks. Silkie Chicken Flock. A herpes type virus identified by Josef Marek, it infects the lymphoid tissue, commonly causing tumours and damage to the peripheral nerves resulting in paralysis, typically of one wing and one leg. You can also consider Silkies as house pets; these fluffy little birds are gaining popularity as a good house pet. Unfortunately silkies have a few genetic tendencies that should be mentioned here. Learn how your comment data is processed. This problem is worse on the bearded silkies since their beards tend to fluff up on the sides underneath the eyes. Silkies are either born like this or they're not, but many breeders prefer it. Using Plastic On The Silkie Chicken Run Rain, Chickens and Muddy Runs; Pea Rock in the Silkie Chicken Run October Fall Chores at VJP Poultry Chicken Nesting Box Issues and Solutions; Chick Care How To Prevent Chick Deaths During the First Week of Life; How to Prevent Pasty Butt in Baby Chicks; How to Choose a Heat Source for Your Brooder I think it has caught cold. Awww that's so sweet! Marek’s can affect most of the systems of the body where tumours interfere with normal functioning, e.g. Dirt tends to ball up or mat itself around foot feathers causing discomfort for the chicken. Since hens only eat once a day when broody, they lose weight. I was using a new incubator and of course no matter how you test it, it’s always different when you get eggs in there for the first time. Bumblefoot is the term used to describe an infection in a chicken’s foot referred to as “plantar pododermatitis” by medical professionals. Silkie Chicken Health Concerns. They tend to stay compressed and wet making more poo stick to them. They do this sort of flutter hop to get up on things that are less than 2 feet high, but it's much easier on them if you place roosts and nest boxes close to floor level for them. Silkies are either born like this or they're not, but many breeders prefer it. Splayed Legs; At the time I hatched my Silkie mix chicks at the end of April, two chicks had leg issues. You'll have to be extra vigilant checking the chickens and their coop for signs of parasites. Because of this, I've had large crested silkies end up at the bottom of the pecking order. I have had, Many breeders and all hatcheries offer this vaccine, so y. can get your chickens vaccinated for this disease and it's quite affordable. There is something like water gum drooping from its nose. I have nest boxes that sit on the coop floor for my silkies and they love them. Bumblefoot is characterized by swelling, sometimes redness and often a characteristic black or brown scab on the bottom of the foot. Since you are not planning to eat the meat or eggs that come from silkies, then you should just have them vaccinated for Marek’s. Nowadays Black chicken are famous around the world especially in Asian countries. If you have a repeat broody or a hen that never breaks broody no matter what you try, she runs the risk of becoming malnourished. So whether you've got kidney troubles or liver issues, maybe Silkie meat can help you. An antibiotic preparation needs to be prescribed by your vet and injected into the breast muscle along with an anti inflammatory drug (ask your vet to show you how if you are unsure) to reduce the swelling and clear up the infection. What we at the typesofchicken.com team want to do with this article is inform you of the 10 Most Common Chicken Health Problems And Solutions so that you can have a better life as a chicken keeper. High concentrations of Carnosine is good for muscles and nervous system. Have your hens recently stopped going into the coop at night? I've often described my silkies as perma-broody! This can lead to some health issues. Make sure you keep their living area clean at all times and also provide a dry roost for sleeping. Marek’s disease is a really devastating and common disease among chickens and silkies are no exception. Torticollis (twisted neck, seahorse neck) may be present but should not be confused with water on the brain. The bird may spin around in circles then suddenly recover, much to the misguided amusement of the keeper. However, roosting posts should be kept lower to the ground in a silkie chicken coop since silkies can’t fly. Now, there is a vaccine for this illness, and it can be treated with an antibiotic from the vet. Thanks for stopping by!Lisa. Wear gloves since there's a pretty good chance that mud clump is actually poop. Chicken mites and lice can affect your chickens in different ways depending on the parasite type, the level of infestation and the health of your chicken flock. The best silkies are those with a dome on their skull which produces an excellent crest although this is often quite alarming when seen in chicks as it appears as a large bump on top of the head – quite disconcerting to new breeders! Silkie chicken is a breed of chicken named for its typically fluffy feathers, which is said to be like silk and satin. The most common Silkie Chicken health issues and how to identify, treat and prevent them! Turkeys can carry a virus that stops the Marek’s virus from producing tumours and keepers will sometimes run their stock with turkeys in order for their birds to pick up this virus, however mixing species is not to be recommended. This chicken is originally from China and has been believed by Chinese people as the medical purpose since many century ago. This can come from the owner and handler or a veterinarian. While all chickens can get lice and mites silkies seem to have more problem with them than other breeds. We all make mistakes in life, and usually you just learn from it and move on. Northampton & District Poultry Club Spring Show 2016. I'm in Western Pa where it often gets into the single digits or below and I never lose them to the cold.Lisa. Traditionally, Silkie meat is considered woman's medicine since it is supposed to build the blood and help with women's troubles. lesions and tumours in blood vessels and the digestive system. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It is divided into sub-categories to help you find the information easily. They are the best chicken ever, and I get Silkie eggs ALL the time. 6 Common Chicken Health Problems. There are certain types that have been bred with a boosted natural immunity but those breeds are more expensive. It is a particular problem with, although not limited to, some of the crested breeds and is often mistaken for Marek’s disease. Dust, dirt and chicken feces particles and not good for your lungs. Low light levels can eliminate cannibalism. Poo sticking to the bum feathers is an attractant for flies which. In this blog post, Lawrence Beeken provides some information on diseases that he has found are common to the Silkie breed of chicken. Vitamin deficiency can happen to the new Silkies while they are on the medicated starter feed. Many of the problems you'll encounter with silkies are caused by their feathers. Lavender is such a hard colour to produce and being a recessive gene it requires inbreeding to propagate correctly and this can leave chickens with poor feather quality and a number of other health issues as well. Another problem observed was splayed legs. I just adore my silkie chickens too! Fear not if your hen seems under the weather, a lot of the time there is a simple fix to make her feel shipshape again. The medicated feed can block the vitamins being absorbed. With Silkies being very fluffy they can be a target for mites and lice, so due diligence should be paid to these little fluff balls. Other health issues of silkie chickens Vaulted skulls. With proper care, splints on legs, and hand-feeding, the chicks recovered and started walking. The following two tabs change content below. The 3 weeks it takes to hatch eggs is one thing, months on end is another! 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