Puts head between legs and walks backwards

CandylandRanch · May 30, 2015

i have a 10 week old salmon faverolle pullet who I have noticed a few times now she puts her head between her legs in a sort of frantic episode and walks/runs backwards, like she is almost going to fall over. It sounds harmless but it looks pretty frantic.. My 9 year old started balling watching her do this, wondering if she was okay. After she calms down a bit it's almost as if she can't look up wards for a while.. It's so strange. Is this just some weird thing or could this mean something neurological ? Or something else?

ChickensAreSweet · May 30, 2015

Could be vitamin deficiency, injury, or infection. I would try vitamins to see if it helped if it were my chicken- you might want to look up poly vi sol no iron on BYC. Also selenium and vit E.

Eggcessive · May 30, 2015

Definitely give some vitamins for poultry or the Polyvisol without iron. Sounds like it could be wry neck which can cause many strange symptoms, such as a twisted neck or a neck stuck downward or upward, walking in circles or backward. Wry neck can be a symptom of a Vitamin deficiency, a head injury, from an infection such as some respiratory diseases or Mareks disease, and can be from anything that can affect the brain. Vitamin B1 (thiamine,) vitamin E, and selenium are the important ones. Eggs contain selenium, as well as chopped meat, tuna, salmon, sunflower seeds, and nuts.

CandylandRanch · May 30, 2015

Wow, thank you so much. There is definitely torticollis and Atexia going on! I just pray that it is Some sort of wry neck/vitamin deficiency and not some other crazy disease or virus I just read about! There's no way my little one cod have Newcastle or something, right? No bloody poops or anything.. But now I'm so worried. And of course tomorrow is Sunday and I won't be able to get my hands on vitamins.. I pray they work!!

CandylandRanch · May 30, 2015

This bird was vaccinated for marked and doesn't seem to have any sort of paralysis going on.

CandylandRanch · May 30, 2015

And the poly vi sol.. Are those specific for poultry or would the enfamil for babies brand work?

ChickensAreSweet · May 31, 2015

CandylandRanch said:
And the poly vi sol.. Are those specific for poultry or would the enfamil for babies brand work?

Poly vi sol no iron is a baby vitamin...haven't used it myself but I do have some on hand just in case. The other brands I suppose would be about the same but I am not sure.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck
here is a thread you may find useful?

microchick · May 31, 2015

Putting head between legs/walking backwards....just tossing out a thought. Have you checked her back there, or maybe I should say under there for something that is irritating or itching her? Could she have an infected feather folicle or something that is causing her pain so that she is reaching under to get to it and in doing that is propelling herself backwards?

CandylandRanch · May 31, 2015

microchick said:
Putting head between legs/walking backwards....just tossing out a thought. Have you checked her back there, or maybe I should say under there for something that is irritating or itching her? Could she have an infected feather folicle or something that is causing her pain so that she is reaching under to get to it and in doing that is propelling herself backwards?

Thank you, and yes I checked. And after spending some time observing her I have noticed her neck is indeed stuck this way even while she is not in a panic. I just picked up some poly vi sol and I'm off to give her a dose! I will update.

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