Week old polish walking funny

Yorkshire coop said:

Have you checked her for pasty butt? She maybe bunged up and needing her butt cleaned do she can actually poop. In my last hatch I had 2 that had it and had to soak them to get the dried poop off them. They got quite sick of me checking them all the time. Putting a little Vaseline on can help to stop the poop sticking too.

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Yorkshire coop said:

Hi there! Polish have several issues that can affect them. They have a vaulted skull and are prone to brain injuries from other birds pecking them. It can only take one peck from another bird in the right place to cause problems. Also polish are usually at the bottom of the pecking order in mixed flocks could your polish chick be getting bullied out of eating and drinking? This could be making the chick weak. Polish also don't absorb vitamins very well so some save a chick or vitamin supplement in the water could really perk it up. Vitamin deficiency can cause problems with wry neck in the breed.
Wry neck is a neurological disorder caused by brain injury, vitamin deficiency or genetic.

I start my polish chicks on a vitamin supplement at 3 days old to make sure they are getting enough.
My adult birds have vitamins 5/7 days a week in the water.

Good luck with your polish I hope you can get it back up to full strength soon.

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Yorkshire coop said:

I had a case of wry neck last year with some eggs I got from a breeder. I lost my favourite bird to it and it was awful so I did some reading up on it. Here is one piece I read on it >

Wry Neck (sometimes called Crook Neck or Stargazing) is a condition that causes a chick or duckling (or sometimes a grown hen whose diet is nutritionally insufficient) to be unable to hold its head up on its own. The affliction can progress to the point that the little one walks backwards or tumbles over on its back, unable to walk at all. It can be fatal if not treated, as the chick or duckling risks becoming dehydrated and malnourished quickly if unable to eat or drink by itself.



Causes: The exact cause of the condition can vary, from genetics to a head injury to a vitamin deficiency. Ingesting toxins/contracting botulism can also bring about wry neck. Chicks especially are prone to being affected by toxins such as lead or other metals in their environment, so care should be taken to remove any potentially dangerous substances. It can also be a symptom of Marek's disease or aspergillosis.

Silkies and Polish chickens are most susceptible to head injuries (their brains are not protected by a hard skull like other breeds, but instead vulnerable to a well-placed peck) and more apt to be pecked by others due to their fancy headdresses. Separating those breeds from more aggressive breeds helps to protect them from injury. Also. overcrowding can lead to unnecessary bullying and pecking so you will want to be sure your chickens and chicks have adequate space.

A vitamin deficiency, Vitamin E specifically, can also cause wry neck. If you see evidence of the condition, regardless of the cause, you should immediately step up the Vitamin E in your flock's diet. a well-rounded diet is the key to good health. Treatment can take weeks or longer, immediate results should not be expected, but the sooner you begin treating, the better chances for success.

Also feeding your chicks medicated feed can interfere with their thiamine (Vitamin B1) absorption. Adding some Brewer's Yeast, bran, sunflower seeds or wheat germ to their diet can help build up their B1 supply.

I have never had a case of wry neck here on our farm despite hatching and raising countless chicks over the years, although I have read a lot about it. I have a strong feeling that our success with not having to deal with it is in part due to the variety of herbs and weeds I offer to our flock on a regular basis. They are packed with vitamins and ensure a well-balanced diet for our chickens and ducks. I also only buy hatching eggs from reputable sources to minimize the chances of hatching embryos that have vitamin deficiencies.

Treatment: Regardless of the cause of the wry neck, you will want to separate the afflicted chick to be sure it's not getting trampled and able to eat and drink unimpeded. Hand feeding might be necessary if the chick is not able to eat on its own. (Dipping the beak into a small dish of water is far safe than using an eyedropper which can lead to aspiration.)

Incorporating some molasses into the afflicted chick's diet is beneficial, as molasses is packed with vitamins and nutrients. Selenium helps boost the effectiveness of Vitamin E, so simply treating with a Vitamin E supplement often isn't enough. Instead, adding natural sources of Vitamin E to your flock's diet works better, as many of them are also a good source.

I think as you have not seen anything like this in your flock you will be ok. I give mine the vitamins as a preventative measure just incase but have not seen this in any chicks I have hatched.

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