So my Silkie, Big Bird, is 6 and a half. She is vaccinated for Marek's, and I've had her since she was a day old.
A few months ago, she started doing this occasionally. At night I would find her outside in the run, laying on her back, unable to get up. I would pick her up, put her in the coop, and in the morning she would be OK. She started getting a bit light.
It progressed to where it started happening more frequently, and then she wouldn't be able to, stand/walk. I would give her food and treats and she would eat voraciously. I'd give her water, put her to bed, and in the morning she'd be fine.
A couple-few weeks ago, it got really bad. She was shockingly light. I put her in the house with me for a week, shot NutriDrench down her crop daily, cooked her eggs (still eating like a champ), fed her, lots of treats, actually did PT with her, bathed her...lots of TLC. She went from completely not being able to stand, to standing with help, staggering and flopping over, to eventually stagger walking, and then walking. She gained weight, got spunky, and after a week was able to go out in the coop and run with the others. I've been making sure she gets plenty of food and the girls aren't bullying her. She's been fine.
Last night she couldn't get up in the coop. Now I'm feeding her again separately in the coop. I am totally stumped. What could this be? No poultry vets near me.
TLDR: My 6 year old Silkie seems to have some weird-ass neuro muscular degenerative disease that waxes and wanes, and causes her to become semiparalytic. It responds somewhat to feeding and NutriDrench and TLC, but it always comes back.
A few months ago, she started doing this occasionally. At night I would find her outside in the run, laying on her back, unable to get up. I would pick her up, put her in the coop, and in the morning she would be OK. She started getting a bit light.
It progressed to where it started happening more frequently, and then she wouldn't be able to, stand/walk. I would give her food and treats and she would eat voraciously. I'd give her water, put her to bed, and in the morning she'd be fine.
A couple-few weeks ago, it got really bad. She was shockingly light. I put her in the house with me for a week, shot NutriDrench down her crop daily, cooked her eggs (still eating like a champ), fed her, lots of treats, actually did PT with her, bathed her...lots of TLC. She went from completely not being able to stand, to standing with help, staggering and flopping over, to eventually stagger walking, and then walking. She gained weight, got spunky, and after a week was able to go out in the coop and run with the others. I've been making sure she gets plenty of food and the girls aren't bullying her. She's been fine.
Last night she couldn't get up in the coop. Now I'm feeding her again separately in the coop. I am totally stumped. What could this be? No poultry vets near me.
TLDR: My 6 year old Silkie seems to have some weird-ass neuro muscular degenerative disease that waxes and wanes, and causes her to become semiparalytic. It responds somewhat to feeding and NutriDrench and TLC, but it always comes back.