Question Losing weight for unknown reasons

[Satellite]

Hello all--

I have just had a chicken pass away--my sweet Silkie girl that just raised a batch of chicks. She appeared fine with the brooding and babies the last few months, but my daughter picked her up last week and she weighed almost nothing. I checked her out, checked out the as well--nothing I could see--not a blocked crop, not egg bound, no lice or mites; eating very well. She had been treated as a cautionary with ivermectin in August before sitting on eggs. I had another one in early fall lose weight--I thought it was due to feather loss and she was processed so I am not sure if she would have passed away.

Am I missing something--everyone else seems fine....could it be a tape worm? Should I be treating with something other than ivermectin? She was only 1.5 years...

I appreciate your thoughts. I looked throughout this thread but didn't find anything that was similar..

[windwalkingwolf]

I've ' deconstructed' hundreds of birds in the last few years, either processing for meat, or because I didn't know how they died or to confirm suspicions. Actually kind of made a habit of it if I'm not 100% sure what caused their death, because there's always something I didn't notice before or something new to learn...and some poultry diseases can cause hidden internal damage so I like to keep an eye out, just in case. Never have I ever found a tapeworm...not that they can't happen, just haven't happened here.. mind you, bird-specific tapeworm can be tiny.Much more likely when there's weight loss and death are kidney or liver issues. Can be caused by any number of things from a virus to genetics to parasites to eating lead BBs to old age and more. :/ Very sorry you lost your little mama :-(

[WLLady]

sorry to hear satellite! i have only heard of a tape worm in a chicken once actually-just last week, someone i had sold some birds to about a year or so ago texted me that she found a tape in some droppings, and it did look like a tape....fenbendazole will take care of them, but honestly, it's the one and only time i have ever heard of a chicken with a tape worm.
Some birds only live a short time, others seems to live forever....i wouldn't worry, likely nothing that was fixable. www said what i was going to...could have been liver or kidney issues, and those you would never know until they're gone.

[Ontario Chick]

Silkies get a bit obsessive when brooding and it's important to check their condition on regular bases. Some will get off the nest for food water and dusting on regular bases, and you should see a very large and very smelly "broody dropping " occasionally, when all is well.
I had a friend who used Silkies for hatching and every cole days she went around and unceremoniously pitched each one out of the nest.
I was somewhat mortified by this, until she explained that she found this the only guaranteed way to keep the Brodie's healthy, also as she lifted them off the nest she could feel their body condition to make sure all was well.

[Happy]

Sorry to hear you lost a sweet one. It's frustrating not knowing why

[Silkie Sue]

So sorry for your loss... i haven't had this happen to an adult bird before, but, a few times with chicks around 3 or 4 weeks i will notice one in the batch that seems lighter than the rest and not as thrifty, i give 3 or 4 drops --twice a day for a couple or three days of polyvisol ( without iron) childrens vitamins, available at Walmart and they always come right back, don't know if this would have helped your situation but experience info is always worth its weight in gold

[Satellite]

Thanks for the vitamin suggestion--that is a good one!

Yes she was pretty obsessive--but luckily, I was equally obsessive and did kick her off every day! I actually felt a little bad about it but wanted to make sure she was eating and drinking.

I appreciate all the thoughts...just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to see everyone dropping like flies! In the end, I feel okay, because she did get to be a mom--and she was an excellent one. She co-parented with another silkie and they were fantastic together.