crookneck chick

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opihiman911

opihiman911

Songster
14 Years
Mar 19, 2007
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I have a 2 week austrolorp chick that I believe has crookneck. I asked about it in another forum here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=29622
I have started the little one on 400u of vitamin E twice a day for the last 2 days and it hasn't improved. In fact it has gotten worse. Its head it now completely twisted around upsidedown, the top of it head is touching the ground and is starting to go between its legs. I've had to take it off by itself and put crumble food on the ground so it could eat and then lift its head a dip its beak into water to drink. It is unable to lift its head into the food or water.
I am still trying to track down the liquid B complex and selenium but haven't found any in my local pharmacies. It will have to wait till I go into town to Walmart.
What else can I do? What can I handfeed it to keep its strength up? At what point do I need to give up and euthinize it? It doesn't seem to be suffering or getting picked on by its siblings. Will still eat and drink if I put food on the ground or its beak in the water. When I let it outside it will still scratch the dirt and peck at it.
These pics are from a couple days ago. When I get home I will take some more pics of the dramatic change. I no longer feel its just a crookneck, it more like the chicken version of the excoscist. I hope my little one doesn't start puking green stuff all over me.
Any help would be appreciated.
Aloha,
Cory

crookedneckchick3.jpg


crookedneckchick2.jpg
 
I went and looked at the link to the thread you posted above...the treatment article posted (Alan Stanford) is the treatment you need ....
Vit E alone (without the selenium) is not going to do the trick as the chick is unable to utilize the E without the selenium. There is a cobmination (human) vit E/selenium tab (agway and walmart often carry this but another drugstore or vitamin section at another store should have it too)
In my opinion you need the prednisolone (this is for the brain inflammation which has occured due to injury) so print out the article AND the hole in the head article (with the photos) and take them to your vet to get the pred The B is also very important.
Follow the instructions in Alans treatment article.
(I have both articles at the following link >click on the PRINT button to print out a copy):
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=casestudiesemergencies&action=display&num=1160927052
 
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I hope your little crook neck chick is still hanging in there. Looks a lot like Ruth did at that age. She could not walk but could only spin in circles. I found this site and took dlhunicorn's suggestion about the vitamin E. I didn't have selenium at the time but I also added many other measures of treatment because I wasn't sure what was wrong with her. She had gotten so bad she had laid down to die and was being trampled by the others. Only way I knew she was alive is because she was still breathing. I figured I had nothing to lose by trying everything. I had to force her mouth open and drop food/water down it for the first couple of days. After that she was gobbling up food out of my fingers but only if I held her and held her head straight. For a couple of weeks I held her and massaged her neck straight and held her head while she ate and drank - several times a day. I cut the cap off a vitamin E capsule and she would gobble up the goop as I squeezed it out. I bought liquid bird vitamins at pet shop and gave her a drop straight up once a day. I mixed up egg yolk, cheese and wetted down dry cat food as a food source. Those first couple of days I had to make it very watery and open her mouth and drop it in throat. I know this has potential for drowning them but I had nothing to lose and was determined she would not die on my watch. After a couple of days she revived and would gulp at the food like she was starving - but again I had to hold her and hold her head straight or she would just go crooked again and fall over. For weeks I continued to hold her, hand feed her and massage her neck while holding her head straight. Today she is only about 1/3rd the size of her fellow hatchlings but they are pretty wild and she is the sweetest little pet you can imagine. She runs to me and loves to have her feathers preened. She adopted some baby Buffs I got in August and raised them and she recently started laying a secret clutch of eggs of her own. So don't give up if it's not too late.
 
You can go to PetSmart and buy baby parrot feed to feed him. It is a powder that you mix with water and has everything he needs. Make sure the bird is eating it and you are not force feeding. Give the chick water this way, too. The easiest way to feed a bird is with a dropper that has a ball on the top. You'll find them in the medication section of PetSmart.
Good luck and keep us posted.
 
I had a crook neck buff orp, hers did not get quite as severe. We used Poly-vi-sol(i know some people say it can't be absorbed) & feed her scrambled eggs & we gave her neck massages everyday. I wish I saved the link because I've never been able to find it again, but there was a page that a woman suggested doing gentle neck massages on the chick, I swear it helped. My girl is almost two years old now!
 
I have been able to find the liquid E and liquid B complex, but not the selenium. I live in a very rural areas on a little island so I don't very many options and places to go. No petmart here, walmart an hours drive, just a couple local feed stores.
She has been eating the yogurt/egg mix if I lift her head and put it in the spoon. I have to force feed the vitamins though. It does seem to be getting a little better after 3 days of doing this, but not much it may be my hopeful imagination. This morning I did find her with her head laying on the feed dish like she was trying to eat and actually lifted her head to look at me, but then if flopped back down between her legs.
I've tried massaging its head and neck but it doesn't like it at all and will violently shake its head and try to back away as if I am hurting or irritating it. I'm happy now with it still eating and taking the vitamins. I have also been squirting vitamin/electrolyte water down its beak since it I haven't seem it drink even when I dip its beak in water. I guess its hard to swallow water when your head is upside down. Have to go slow as I gave too much once and it came back out its nose and gave it the sneezes.
Interestingly her 2 bigger siblings seem to be trying to help her. I was worried about them pecking at the crook neck one and watched them very careful from the first day. They have never once pecked at her except to get the extra food off her face and feathers. When I peek at them thay are all laying together in a corner to keep warm. I know the healthy ones went to the sick one because it always ends up backing up into a corner and laying there. When they get up they don't step or trample her.
I'm still keeping hope.
Thanks for all the info, help and support. I'll keep you posted on her progress.

Aloha,
Cory
 
Glad to hear she is still hanging in there. When you give her water try to hold her neck and head as straight as possible and then tilt the head back a little when you drop water in her beak or drizzle it along the side of the beak. That way it goes down the throat and not out the nose or into the lungs. Watch how the healthy ones drink - they get some in their mouth and then throw their heads back to swallow.

Also, when massaging there's no need to apply pressure. I would wait till Ruth had relaxed in my lap and then I would gently hold her head in my hands and ever so gently move it to correct position and then just sort of pet her neck. Her neck had such a bend in it that it looked like your knuckle sticking up when you bend your finger.

Liquid baby vitamins will work well and should be found in any grocery store. Don't give up - it took weeks before Ruth was able to run with the rest of the pack.
 
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