Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

This is Silks, she was my oldest and first Silkie at 8 years old. Over the years, I have done my best to try and kill her. She first introduced me to red mites! I picked her up one day and they were crawling all over me! Luckily, I had Lois at my local feed store who gave me Dusting powder. Next, it was scaly leg mites that I had no idea about. She lost 2 toes before I figured it out. Followed by an upper respiratory infection that lasted forever. I tried killing her again with injectable antibiotics and a 1.5 gauge needle. But I didn't and learned how to give injections.

She was bully because she didn't get around that well or fast and my standard rooster would flatten her every time he saw her. The other big girls in the coop would pick on her. She basically lived in her nesting box never going out unless i was with her. So, two years ago I moved her into my silkie coop. She had a marked recovery. She loved it. Went outside, dust bathed, generally did chicken stuff.

Then she was stung by a bee or wasp. Both her eyes were completely swollen shut with goo coming out of them. Again I tried to kill her with Children's Benadryl, I read the dosage after I gave it to her. She was nowhere near 50kg. Three weeks of bathing her eyes 3 or 4 times a day, hand feeding her, cause she couldn't see. She revovered well enough to join the flock again.

In the fall she got a canker in her nose. Went back to my friend Lois and got something to take care of that. Again, when she was well enough she went back out to the flock.

She was awesome this spring laying eggs ..who knew! Running around, then about 2 months ago she went broody and stopping moving. I thought she had gotten stung again. One side of her face was swollen and goo was keeping her eye closed. Back in the house, Bubble gum flavoured Benadryl, Denagard, hand feeding. At some point during last weekend her beak wasn't closing anymore and it looked like she wasn't able to drink any longer. She was still feisty and trying to move around. However, it was time.

You'd think after all the years of being handled that she would at least like it. NOPE! She fought me every single time I picked her up. Every single time! I have spent most of the last 6 years taking care of Silks in one form or another. I will miss her.

RIP Silks

RIP SIlks
I'm glad I met you.
What a character.

Sorry for your loss @Kbr42 . RIP, Silks. You certainly had more than your share of health issues and bullying, but it sounds like this last year was a good one for you , up until just recently.

Sorry for your loss Kbr42. Sounds like she may not have lived, as long as, she did if not for all your care.

Aww sorry you lost her. Those perpetually "different" birds pull your heartstrings the hardest.

I’m sorry to hear about Silks

Sorry for your loss.

Very sad yet kinda inspiring...love the connections we make with those one in a million characters...RIP Silks

RIP, lovely little hen