Month-long Wryneck?

[eanne06]

About five months ago, our 5-month-old Croad Langshan rooster developed a case of what appeared to be wryneck. He had the classic neck twist/starry-eyed gaze and seems to be favoring one side of his body so that when he walked he leaned into one side more than the other. We brought him inside and added Vitamin B and Poultry Cell to his water. Within three days, he was fine. About a month ago, he seemed to be experiencing it again. I brought him inside again and got him started on Vitamin B and Poultry Cell. He seemed a little better, but after 5 days inside, he still had the "stargazing" appearance. We thought maybe the stress of being away from his flock was slowing his recover, so we set up a dog crate in the coop and had him in there, letting him out on warm days to forage with the flock. We continued to treat him with Vitamin B and Poultry Cell, then added a Nutridrench to his regime about 2.5 weeks ago. This week, we switched to Selenium and Vitamin E, with just the Nutridrech added to his water. While his neck has still been twisted, he appeared to be getting around okay, foraging with his ladies, and even attempting to mate. This evening, we went outside lock the coop and all the other birds had gone to roost but he was laying outside not moving. I thought for sure he was dead. Well, he's not, but he's clearly weak and in a full-blown head-twist. At most, he's gotten maybe 20% better from the first day we started treatment a month ago, but even that improvement has been an ebb and flow. No other birds in the flock are showing any symptoms, and I contacted his original breeder thinking it might be genetic, but she said none of the birds from his line have gotten wryneck. He's still eating and drinking and able to walk. But I don't know what else I can do for him. What other treatment options are there? What else could this be if not wryneck? Has anyone treated for this long and ended up with a positive outcome, or does it always end in culling once it's gone on this long? Is this breed particularly prone to wryneck?

 

[azygous]

Wry neck can be chronic. Other cases can clear up in a day with just one or two doses of vitamin E.

The thing about wry neck is that it can lead to starvation due to not being able to eat properly. Recently, I had to treat a very old hen for this. I left her with the flock mostly, except for when she was very incapacitated and some of the hens were abusing her.

I monitored her crop and if she hadn't gotten enough to eat to fill her crop by evening, I tube fed her. I also increased her vitamin E dose to double the normal dose and I did it twice a day. Most of the time, this was enough so she could have a mostly normal life, the last month or so of it, as it turned out. She had a tumor on her head that caused her torticolis and she finally reached the end.

Vitamin E 400iu is the most important vitamin. Give it as a double dose if you have to, and give it morning and evening. If you think he needs to be tube fed because he isn't getting enough to eat, I will instruct you if you don't know how.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you know if he was vaccinated for Mareks disease? That could be a possibilty. I would treat with the vitamins for a couple of weeks.

 

[Smileybans]

About five months ago, our 5-month-old Croad Langshan rooster developed a case of what appeared to be wryneck. He had the classic neck twist/starry-eyed gaze and seems to be favoring one side of his body so that when he walked he leaned into one side more than the other. We brought him inside and added Vitamin B and Poultry Cell to his water. Within three days, he was fine. About a month ago, he seemed to be experiencing it again. I brought him inside again and got him started on Vitamin B and Poultry Cell. He seemed a little better, but after 5 days inside, he still had the "stargazing" appearance. We thought maybe the stress of being away from his flock was slowing his recover, so we set up a dog crate in the coop and had him in there, letting him out on warm days to forage with the flock. We continued to treat him with Vitamin B and Poultry Cell, then added a Nutridrench to his regime about 2.5 weeks ago. This week, we switched to Selenium and Vitamin E, with just the Nutridrech added to his water. While his neck has still been twisted, he appeared to be getting around okay, foraging with his ladies, and even attempting to mate. This evening, we went outside lock the coop and all the other birds had gone to roost but he was laying outside not moving. I thought for sure he was dead. Well, he's not, but he's clearly weak and in a full-blown head-twist. At most, he's gotten maybe 20% better from the first day we started treatment a month ago, but even that improvement has been an ebb and flow. No other birds in the flock are showing any symptoms, and I contacted his original breeder thinking it might be genetic, but she said none of the birds from his line have gotten wryneck. He's still eating and drinking and able to walk. But I don't know what else I can do for him. What other treatment options are there? What else could this be if not wryneck? Has anyone treated for this long and ended up with a positive outcome, or does it always end in culling once it's gone on this long? Is this breed particularly prone to wryneck?

I cant speak to that breed but I have a showgirl rooster that has chronic wry neck. I have him on long term vitamins. Without the vitamins his wry neck comes back within days. He‘s on goat paste selenium with vitamin e, liquid vitamin E and liquid B12 complex. The liquid B12 complex seems to help him out the most. I’ve been treating his wry neck three times a day, thats what keeps it most at bay, for about four months now. He‘s had wry neck episodes since he was about three months. He’s almost a year old. I moved him inside permanently when I realized he would need medicine multiple times a day. He was also in danger with the flock since i do have multiple roosters. But he has a girlfriend and he lives a very spoiled life in the house. He eats when he has good days and if he has bad days, his wry neck flaring up, then he gets extra attention. I hand feed him and he sits on the couch watching tv all day.

 

[eanne06]

Do you know if he was vaccinated for Mareks disease? That could be a possibilty. I would treat with the vitamins for a couple of weeks.

He wasn't vaccinated for Mareks. I've been treating with a combination of Nutridrench, Poultry Cell, Vitamin B, and most recently Selenium with Vitamin E. Last night I crush two Vitamin E pills into some ground up sunflower seeds and mixed in cooked egg yolk and mercury-free tuna.

 

[eanne06]

I cant speak to that breed but I have a showgirl rooster that has chronic wry neck. I have him on long term vitamins. Without the vitamins his wry neck comes back within days. He‘s on goat paste selenium with vitamin e, liquid vitamin E and liquid B12 complex. The liquid B12 complex seems to help him out the most. I’ve been treating his wry neck three times a day, thats what keeps it most at bay, for about four months now. He‘s had wry neck episodes since he was about three months. He’s almost a year old. I moved him inside permanently when I realized he would need medicine multiple times a day. He was also in danger with the flock since i do have multiple roosters. But he has a girlfriend and he lives a very spoiled life in the house. He eats when he has good days and if he has bad days, his wry neck flaring up, then he gets extra attention. I hand feed him and he sits on the couch watching tv all day.

What a lucky Roo! How much selenium paste are you giving him? I've gone through two tubes in 10 days at $13 a tube. I can't see us administering that longterm.

 

[eanne06]

Wry neck can be chronic. Other cases can clear up in a day with just one or two doses of vitamin E.

The thing about wry neck is that it can lead to starvation due to not being able to eat properly. Recently, I had to treat a very old hen for this. I left her with the flock mostly, except for when she was very incapacitated and some of the hens were abusing her.

I monitored her crop and if she hadn't gotten enough to eat to fill her crop by evening, I tube fed her. I also increased her vitamin E dose to double the normal dose and I did it twice a day. Most of the time, this was enough so she could have a mostly normal life, the last month or so of it, as it turned out. She had a tumor on her head that caused her torticolis and she finally reached the end.

Vitamin E 400iu is the most important vitamin. Give it as a double dose if you have to, and give it morning and evening. If you think he needs to be tube fed because he isn't getting enough to eat, I will instruct you if you don't know how.

He seems to be eating and drinking okay. How are you administering the Vitmain E? In a tube during feedings? Are you using the oil or the crushing the pills?

 

[Eggcessive]

Selenium is found in eggs, and only a small amount is needed daily. Just part of an egg is good. I would only give 400 IU of human vitamin E, and a little thiamine (B1) which is found in most vitamins, and human B complex tablets. It sounds like you are giving too many things at once. Selenium can be toxic in high dosages. It only helps in the uptake of E.

 

[Smileybans]

What a lucky Roo! How much selenium paste are you giving him? I've gone through two tubes in 10 days at $13 a tube. I can't see us administering that longterm.

I only give him a very small amount two times a day. I turn the dial on the tube probably a half turn. Maybe less. The amount that comes out of the tube is enough to cover the tip of my index finger. I know that isn’t really measurable but I don’t give him a lot. I’ve found that the liquid vitamins actually do more for him. He gets those three times a day, the selenium is two, in a more controlled dose.