[runner52]

Help needed to identify cause of hen deaths & hopefully prevent others. Silkie banties (young about 1 year old) - listless, not eating for about a week then they died. Any ideas?  

[Spana]

Silkies are very prone to Mareks disease, it gets them as they reach pol usually but can come later.

Did they come vaccinated against Mareks or did you hatch them yourself.

[joyfull]

also what other symptoms did they have?
Have you wormed them regularly - and what did you use for this?
Have you checked for mites and lice?
How do you store your feed?
What do you feed them on?
Are they running a temperature?
Any creamish type of discharge from their vents?
Any chest rattling?
What do their eyes look like?
Did you look down their throats?
Have they banged their heads recently?

Sorry but just going off their feed for a week really doesn't give us many clues to go on.
Do you have a local poultry friendly vet (often chickens are classed as exotic species so you may be able to find one who say they treat exotics).

[runner52]

Thanks for replies I'M new to this kind of forum. Hens hatched out by us. They are/were free range. Hen house regularly treated for red lice but not wormed.  No obvious signs of illness - but did not examine closely. Some whezziness. Local vets not really 'into' poultry. We did have a similar problem 3 yrs ago with brown hybrid hens. Vet gave us a broad spectrum anti biotic to add to drinking water but did not really know what was the cause. Any further ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[runner52]

also what other symptoms did they have?
Have you wormed them regularly - and what did you use for this?
Have you checked for mites and lice?
How do you store your feed?
What do you feed them on?
Are they running a temperature?
Any creamish type of discharge from their vents?
Any chest rattling?
What do their eyes look like?
Did you look down their throats?
Have they banged their heads recently?

Sorry but just going off their feed for a week really doesn't give us many clues to go on.
Do you have a local poultry friendly vet (often chickens are classed as exotic species so you may be able to find one who say they treat exotics).

Thanks - for reply. Hens are free range running on grass/mud under apple trees. Housed at night. House treated with dust for mites on a regular basis. Not wormed. Fed on commerical feed mixed with barley & oats. No discharge. Heavy breathing as condition got worse. No vets here into poultry. May be bacterial as hens in other coops have yet to show similar problems.

[chick chicks]

Hi
sounds ike the same thing I just went through with my little silkie.
I had a bacterial infection, she was very listless, had diahrea, not eating,
I treated her with Chlor Palm, every 8 hours for 7 days. I also treated the other birds that were in the same area as her. I kept her in the house in a basket whille she was being treated. It worked well and they are all back outside and healthy...
Good luck

[helens-hens]

You mention that you don't worm them, though this may not be the cause of death, if they are carrying worms then this isn't going to help if their immune systems are trying to fight some disease or infection.

Personally I would worm them as a matter of course. Most people here recommend Flubenvet and I use this for worming my hens about every 4 months.

Will keep fingers crossed that your other girls stay healthy