Hi there,Im new to this forum today, my name is Lou. Can anyone please advise me on my chickens as new to chicken ownership. 3 weeks ago I brought 3 silkies and now two are unwell one being worse than the other. Snotty, coughing and now one has closed her eyes although they are not swollen or stuck together. Still eating and drinking but quite. Have read up about diseases but still dont know what it is and what to do about it ?

Hi i dont know that much about chickens but my friend had a chook with sim symptoms and very quiet just huddled up in a corner she took hers to the vets and it needed anti bs may be someone else may be able to help hoping for a speedy recovery

Quite often when you buy in new chickens the stress of the whole thing can make them more susceptible to infections - just like people get colds and cold sores when they are stressed out. It sounds like they have an upper respiratory infection which is quite common in birds due to their respiratory system being so complicated. Silkies in particular seem to be quite delicate - my neighbor breeds them and they always seem to die at the drop of a hat!!
I would ask your vet - they may say if eating and drinking and otherwise OK just to leave it run its course, just clean their sticky eyes - sometimes you may loose a bird or 2 if it is bad. I bought 5 indian games a few months ago - I have 3 left which are now absolutely fine and in with the main flock - the 2 that died came from the same place so maybe something there? - but all had an upper respiratory infection a week after arriving, I did put them on terramycin for a week which helped a bit but the worst ones just never picked up and stopped eating - but definitely give your vet a ring and have a chat.

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Hi there, sorry for late reply been having pc trouble. The silkie in question dident make it and a second also became quite unwell but not in quite the same way just really gunky eyes. Now into 4th day with her, flushing eyes 4 times daily and treating with drops and hand feeding as see carnt see very well and pleased to say that today when I went to her she had one un swollen eye which was open. Fingers crossed with a little more TLC she will make full recovery. My warrens have been un affeced by this. Hard as nails them girls Lol x

I would go back to the person you got them from, ask if any of theirs have symptons similar, some poultry deceases are notifiable

jenn