Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[CarolynF]

Quote:

What do you mean when you say "Star Gazing"?

 

[marchick]

What do you mean when you say "Star Gazing"?

I had a chick do something like this and was told to give it poly.vi.sol without iron! About 5 or 6 drops twice a day for about 2 weeks. She came out of it and never had problems after that. It might be a vitamin deficency!

 

[Pnw3pack]

Looking for some ideas on what I can give my girls to forage on while I'm at work and they can't be out in the run. Someone on another page had mentioned using sprouts. Right now when I'm at work my flock is in their 10x10 coop. I just feel so bad that they are confined during the week and I'm looking for some extra stuff for them. Let me know what you guys think!

 

[Chickielady]

What do you mean when you say "Star Gazing"?

Star gazing is when chicks sit back on their rump, and their head bends back on their backs, and they look straight up, sometimes with their heads turning to & fro as if they are scratching the tops of their heads on their backs.
It is really weird, and as far as I can tell, happens from various reasons, some say it is interbreeding, others say it is from certain molds that can be in the feed...others say it is from a lack of certain nutrients.
I hatched a set of chicks years ago who were fine & after a few days starting star gazing...it is a shock to see !
Sometimes they get over it, most times they die, there is no way for them to eat or drink, and they loose all balance, it is really sad !

Glenda is a BYC resident DVM...has written alot of articles:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/162109/star-gazing-chicks-or-chickens
This is not my photo but borrowed it from BYC to illustrate star gazing, and it is not the same as wry neck:

 

[Chickielady]

Looking for some ideas on what I can give my girls to forage on while I'm at work and they can't be out in the run. Someone on another page had mentioned using sprouts. Right now when I'm at work my flock is in their 10x10 coop. I just feel so bad that they are confined during the week and I'm looking for some extra stuff for them. Let me know what you guys think!

A couple big hunks of sweet meats squash are excellent, or pumpkins, and have the added benefit of killing round worms !************Also: a really fun thing to keep them occupied is a bale of straw or grass hay....I get compressed straw most times, and sweet grass hay.throw a few flakes out for them, and they will have a blast "rotovating" in it for weeks !




Apples work good, too!

They also love green cabbage...and iceberg lettuce, while the later has almost no nutritional value, it is fun to them, to peck at.
Any other semi-firm vegies work too...tomatoes, pears.

 

[Pnw3pack]

Perfect! I'll stop by the store on my way home and stock up on some produce for them. Thank you so much.

A couple big hunks of sweet meats squash are excellent, or pumpkins, and have the added benefit of killing round worms !************Also: a really fun thing to keep them occupied is a bale of straw or grass hay....I get compressed straw most times, and sweet grass hay.throw a few flakes out for them, and they will have a blast "rotovating" in it for weeks ! Apples work good, too! They also love green cabbage...and iceberg lettuce, while the later has almost no nutritional value, it is fun to them, to peck at. Any other semi-firm vegies work too...tomatoes, pears.

 

[QuiltinGramma]

Speaking of the Three Stooges....yes, there was Larry, Moe and Curly Joe, but, after Curly Joe, Shemp came along.
And now you know the rest of the story.

My hubby and I are in Washington DC at a Drug & Alcohol Conference. Fly in last night. The monuments were all lit up and so pretty to see as we preparing to land. We are suppose to leave Thursday evening but I hear more snow is on its way in. I hope we're able to fly out on schedule. The hotel is fabulously beautiful and over looks the Potomac. I wish we had the time and transportation to do some sight-seeing but I'm afraid I'll just have to wait for another visit.

Hope y'all are enjoying the PNW weather.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Speaking of the Three Stooges....yes, there was Larry, Moe and Curly Joe, but, after Curly Joe, Shemp came along.
And now you know the rest of the story.

My hubby and I are in Washington DC at a Drug & Alcohol Conference. Fly in last night. The monuments were all lit up and so pretty to see as we preparing to land. We are suppose to leave Thursday evening but I hear more snow is on its way in. I hope we're able to fly out on schedule. The hotel is fabulously beautiful and over looks the Potomac. I wish we had the time and transportation to do some sight-seeing but I'm afraid I'll just have to wait for another visit.

Hope y'all are enjoying the PNW weather.

I forgot about Shemp, I am jealous years ago I met a favored cousin in DC we spent 2 weeks there together, We lost her to cancer a years later.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Star gazing is when chicks sit back on their rump, and their head bends back on their backs, and they look straight up, sometimes with their heads turning to & fro as if they are scratching the tops of their heads on their backs.
It is really weird, and as far as I can tell, happens from various reasons, some say it is interbreeding, others say it is from certain molds that can be in the feed...others say it is from a lack of certain nutrients.
I hatched a set of chicks years ago who were fine & after a few days starting star gazing...it is a shock to see !
Sometimes they get over it, most times they die, there is no way for them to eat or drink, and they loose all balance, it is really sad !

Glenda is a BYC resident DVM...has written alot of articles:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/162109/star-gazing-chicks-or-chickens
This is not my photo but borrowed it from BYC to illustrate star gazing, and it is not the same as wry neck:

My doctorate is in genetics, since my stroke I lost much of it and do not practice at all anymore. most of research was based on Canines

 

[Chickielady]

You probably have seen this before in other mammals & birds, then, and in humans, it is called titubation, or involuntary movements due to nerve pressure or damage.
Damage can come from disease, accident or genetics
The nerves can be a simple one in the neck, or full body ataxia.
You probably already know that sometimes it is an easy surgery to correct involuntary movement, sometimes in the case of disease such as MS and progressive Parkinson's, no cure can be made but there is some drugs that can bring some relief.