4 month old hen with wry neck

Sire12

Songster
Aug 29, 2016
276
81
141
Northern Ireland
One of my young pullets got wry neck about a month ago, at the time I didn't know what it was since I'm new to this and it wasn't until about 2 weeks later that I learned she had wry neck, I brought her inside and for the past 2 weeks have been feeding her soaked bread covered with 400ui of vitamin E oil and a crushed up selenium tablet in the mornings, then soaked grain with growers pellets through the day, when I first brought her in she seemed not too bad sometimes she could hold her head up but now she can't hold it up at all, I'm hand feeding her and having to hold her head up, at this point I don't think she's going to get better since she's be declining but I don't want to put her down unless she was in pain, I set up a tiny roost not far off the ground beside a large mirror for her so that she might see it as another hen so she won't be depressed I don't know if it's working though, I think because I didn't realize what it was 2 weeks too late is why it's so bad the other hens could have been peking at her and making it worse all that time, she often twitches her head it looks as if she's like trying to untangle it or something? Or worse case scenario she's having seizures, again I really don't want to put the poor girl down but if she's in pain and won't recover idk :(
 
Can you post a video or some photos?

Wry neck is a neurological symptom of several conditions, like Vitamin E and Selenium deficiency, certain disease like Marek's, Newcastles or Avian Lymphoid Leukosis or could be from a head injury.

It can take a while to see positive results if it is from vitamin deficiency. Was she vaccinated for Marek's?

Do the best you can, I know you are giving her wet foods and that is great.

Is her crop emptying overnight?
It may not be needed, but you may want to place a small amount of poultry grit (free choice) in her cage, she may need it to help grind up the grains and bread.

Keep us posted.
 
Thanks so much for the info wyorp :) she came with 3 other hens from the same flock and the rest seem to be happy and healthy, she seemed to be the most peckish towards me and the other hens so if I had to guess I'd say she pecked at sweep whose at the top of the order and sweep injured her head in the retaliation, she had also been exposed to the other hens who were probably bullying her too and making it worse, here's a pic of her just after eating so she's tired il get a vid tomorrow morning when shes awake and moving around -

1000
 
First of all, not a pullet. That's a cockerel. Secondly, you need to gets some vitamins in that bird ASAP. If the pharmacy is closer than the feed store, you can pick up some infant multivitamin drops like Poly-Vi-Sol, without iron. Those can be administered directly into the mouth. A few drops, twice a day, for at least a week. Plus you can add it to the drinking water.
 
I haven't heard of polyvisol il see if they have any in the morning when I get vitamin b, I heard that you should drip anything directly in the mouth though as they inhale it in so il add some to the water I use to soak the bread in, are you sure it's a cockerel? I got 3 others in the same flock I was told they were all hens, they all look the same.. I hope they aren't all roosters I wouldn't be able to keep them.. il add some photos of the others tomorrow it's night here now, wouldn't they have started crowing by now
 
I haven't heard of polyvisol il see if they have any in the morning when I get vitamin b, I heard that you should drip anything directly in the mouth though as they inhale it in so il add some to the water I use to soak the bread in, are you sure it's a cockerel? I got 3 others in the same flock I was told they were all hens, they all look the same.. I hope they aren't all roosters I wouldn't be able to keep them.. il add some photos of the others tomorrow it's night here now, wouldn't they have started crowing by now
I'm 100% certain that bird is male. Male saddle feathers, patches of rooster red through the shoulder/wing, very red, well developed comb at 4 months all scream cockerel.
 
Omg the other 3 are exactly the same with the red patches.. I'd be so gutted if I had to give them away they eat out of my hand every morning.. il take some pics tmrw :'(
 

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