Wry neck not improving

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JacksFarmNGardn said:
I had to make one of the hardest decisions, but today Yin suffers no more. She has been struggling with this for 3 weeks now and even though she seemed like she had good days, overall there was no improvement. I let her visit her flockmates, and she was unresponsive. Her "sister", Yang that she grew up with just stared at her and made some noises, I don't know if they know or not, but if I believed in anything, it's that she said goodbye. I buried her deep in their pen, after getting through about 6inches of ice, but she lays to rest with her flockmates. I've only lost one chicken since getting into chickens to a hawk. A couple months ago. It was hard then. I've culled dozens of birds, but never had to from my main flock. RIP Yin, I miss you already
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I'm so sorry for your loss.
 
I know this is from a few months back but if possible I'd like to start the discussion again. First off by saying how sorry I am for your loss. It's so hard to chose that moment, but sometimes its the best choice.

I am actually in the same boat right now. I have been taking care of a 2 year old hen for about a month now and this is going to be a little lengthy here but please bare with me!!

One month and one day ago today we had an attack on our coop. A raccoon came and killed 2 of my hens (one was my favorite) and injured 2 of my birds. My leghorn had a bite taken from her wing, she is doing great today, healing well and enjoying life with her flock. My austrolorp was pretty much scapled and on the upper part of the injury, it was pretty deep. (Today the injury is healing so well, she is growing new skin back!)

Waking up to the coop after an attack is a feeling like no other, your stomach drops hoping theres survivors and bracing for the most horrific scene I think I have ever experienced. Feathers EVERYWHERE. Grabbing up my girl to only find her cold. Then seen my big black Austrolop in that condition completely shattered my heart. I picked her up and wrapped her in my jacket expecting her to take her last breaths safley in my arms. An hour later she was still alive so I brought her inside wrapped in my jacket and left her in a box, hoping she'd be able to feel safe.

We began to treat her head injury and feed and water her with a syringe 3x a day. She was getting electrolytes with water and some organic applesauce with butternut squash, oats and also yogurt with penicillin. Almost 14 days exactly after the attack her neck twisted one day and has been the same since. I feel like I have done everything BUT go to a vet since there are none in my area. Today we are on the 18th day of treating her for wry neck. I have done a ton of research and honestly believe its wry neck. I began to watch vidoes and they are identical in behavior. Now what is the core cause of that I'm not sure?? Before this she was on the road to recovery, I would take her to see her sisters and she was able to walk a lil bit at a time and almost started pecking! This leads me to question whether the wry is from vitamin deficiency or head injury since she was acting normal before her neck twisted. It took me 2 or 3 days to realize what is wrong with her, I'm a newbie here, and didnt realize things can be so complex with chickens. I'm learning pretty quick it seems. Ive only had chickens since January and feel like we have gone through so much since then.

So here is what I am doing for her now.

Each morning she gets some poly vi sol mixed with rooster booster, vit E, selenium all mixed in her water. I made a puree of carrots, garlic, turmeric, brussel sprouts, raw honey, black pepper and coconut oil. She gets about 4 syringe fulls of that along with a couple of yogurt ones. Her 2nd meal she gets more vit E and selenium, rooster booster mixed in her water, along with a few more syringes full of her food and yogurt. The last 3 days I have been giving her more of her pellets smashed in water than the food I made her, along with some grit because she wasn't digesting right. Her crop feels normal now. She is still getting same amount of her vitamins tho. Also I purchased a turmeric tea she has been getting too. I feel like you, how you treat and do so much but just dont see any improvement. The past week she has been pooping and laying in her poop, so she gets showers and has to be blow dried(VERY time consuming). I want her to make it, but this is now consuming my life and not sure if its even worth it for her to keep her alive.

You still with me here?? I know it feels like I've written a book on here. Soooo my question and whole point of this reply is to get some opinions on this? When is enough, enough?? Some days her head looks like its almost in a normal position then I walk in to find her all curled back up in a corner.... HELP!!
 
LouisesMama said:
I know this is from a few months back but if possible I'd like to start the discussion again. First off by saying how sorry I am for your loss. It's so hard to chose that moment, but sometimes its the best choice.

I am actually in the same boat right now. I have been taking care of a 2 year old hen for about a month now and this is going to be a little lengthy here but please bare with me!!

One month and one day ago today we had an attack on our coop. A raccoon came and killed 2 of my hens (one was my favorite) and injured 2 of my birds. My leghorn had a bite taken from her wing, she is doing great today, healing well and enjoying life with her flock. My austrolorp was pretty much scapled and on the upper part of the injury, it was pretty deep. (Today the injury is healing so well, she is growing new skin back!)

Waking up to the coop after an attack is a feeling like no other, your stomach drops hoping theres survivors and bracing for the most horrific scene I think I have ever experienced. Feathers EVERYWHERE. Grabbing up my girl to only find her cold. Then seen my big black Austrolop in that condition completely shattered my heart. I picked her up and wrapped her in my jacket expecting her to take her last breaths safley in my arms. An hour later she was still alive so I brought her inside wrapped in my jacket and left her in a box, hoping she'd be able to feel safe.

We began to treat her head injury and feed and water her with a syringe 3x a day. She was getting electrolytes with water and some organic applesauce with butternut squash, oats and also yogurt with penicillin. Almost 14 days exactly after the attack her neck twisted one day and has been the same since. I feel like I have done everything BUT go to a vet since there are none in my area. Today we are on the 18th day of treating her for wry neck. I have done a ton of research and honestly believe its wry neck. I began to watch vidoes and they are identical in behavior. Now what is the core cause of that I'm not sure?? Before this she was on the road to recovery, I would take her to see her sisters and she was able to walk a lil bit at a time and almost started pecking! This leads me to question whether the wry is from vitamin deficiency or head injury since she was acting normal before her neck twisted. It took me 2 or 3 days to realize what is wrong with her, I'm a newbie here, and didnt realize things can be so complex with chickens. I'm learning pretty quick it seems. Ive only had chickens since January and feel like we have gone through so much since then.

So here is what I am doing for her now.

Each morning she gets some poly vi sol mixed with rooster booster, vit E, selenium all mixed in her water. I made a puree of carrots, garlic, turmeric, brussel sprouts, raw honey, black pepper and coconut oil. She gets about 4 syringe fulls of that along with a couple of yogurt ones. Her 2nd meal she gets more vit E and selenium, rooster booster mixed in her water, along with a few more syringes full of her food and yogurt. The last 3 days I have been giving her more of her pellets smashed in water than the food I made her, along with some grit because she wasn't digesting right. Her crop feels normal now. She is still getting same amount of her vitamins tho. Also I purchased a turmeric tea she has been getting too. I feel like you, how you treat and do so much but just dont see any improvement. The past week she has been pooping and laying in her poop, so she gets showers and has to be blow dried(VERY time consuming). I want her to make it, but this is now consuming my life and not sure if its even worth it for her to keep her alive.

You still with me here?? I know it feels like I've written a book on here. Soooo my question and whole point of this reply is to get some opinions on this? When is enough, enough?? Some days her head looks like its almost in a normal position then I walk in to find her all curled back up in a corner.... HELP!!
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Did she make it? In the same boat myself right now.
 
My guess would be that all the birds in question in this thread were probably suffering from Marek's disease which is incredibly common and widespread.

@christinethemac How old is your bird?
The best that you can do is provide a good quality vitamin supplement and supportive care but once they lose interest in food, I use that as the line drawn in the sand to end their suffering. I have nursed birds for months that were nest bound and still showing an interest in food and had a couple that did make sufficient of a recovery to go back to free ranging with the flock but if they no longer want to eat proper food or treats like unadulterated scrambled egg or drink then I euthanize. I no longer try to medicate with anything because that just stresses them and if it is Marek's that will make them worse and I have had enough recover that were not treated with anything to be sceptical about the claims that St John's Wort or Turmeric etc work. A palatable multivitamin supplement to support their immune system and a probiotic or fermented feed to support their digestive tract gives them as much of a chance as anything in my opinion. I believe that vitamin deficiency is much less of a problem than people believe but supplementing with vitamins may help them recover from a Marek's attack and people assume they have "treated" a vitamin deficiency.
 
rebrascora said:
My guess would be that all the birds in question in this thread were probably suffering from Marek's disease which is incredibly common and widespread.

@christinethemac How old is your bird?
The best that you can do is provide a good quality vitamin supplement and supportive care but once they lose interest in food, I use that as the line drawn in the sand to end their suffering. I have nursed birds for months that were nest bound and still showing an interest in food and had a couple that did make sufficient of a recovery to go back to free ranging with the flock but if they no longer want to eat proper food or treats like unadulterated scrambled egg or drink then I euthanize. I no longer try to medicate with anything because that just stresses them and if it is Marek's that will make them worse and I have had enough recover that were not treated with anything to be sceptical about the claims that St John's Wort or Turmeric etc work. A palatable multivitamin supplement to support their immune system and a probiotic or fermented feed to support their digestive tract gives them as much of a chance as anything in my opinion. I believe that vitamin deficiency is much less of a problem than people believe but supplementing with vitamins may help them recover from a Marek's attack and people assume they have "treated" a vitamin deficiency.
Click to expand...


I agree that when they lose interest in food, then it's time to end it. I've never had to do that and I really don't know if I can. She is a pet. She seems worse today. Can only walk backwards, running into everything. I'm giving her vitamin e, selenium, poly vi sol. My other hens are fine so hopefully not Marek's.
 
The thing with Marek's is that it has dormant phases like the cold sore virus in humans (both are Herpes viruses), so you cannot tell who is carrying the virus until they have an outbreak and what causes an outbreak in one person may not trigger it in another, so everyone doesn't have an outbreak at the same time. I'm not saying your bird does have Marek's but don't rule it out because it is the only one with symptoms.
Unfortunately death is something that crops up all too often in poultry keeping, and being pets does not negate that. I cannot afford to take my birds to the vets for such things ( I have too many and I have Marek's disease in my flock) and I have had to pluck up the courage to deal with these situations myself. It takes a lot to psych myself up to do it and I cry during and after but it is my responsibility to help end these birds suffering when there is no hope left. If they are prepared to keep eating and fighting it, then I will give them support as long as that is the case but once they lose interest in food there is no hope left and I help them end it quickly. I use the broom shank, cervical dislocation method.
 
Fortunately I found a vet that will do it for $23. I will probably go that route. She's been around the other hens up until last night when i pulled her in the house. Hope it's not Marek's.
 

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