2 Month Silkie w/ Unusual "Drunk" Behavior

[trishmk]

1) What type of bird , age and weight.

Silkie 2+Month

2) What is the behavior, exactly.

Obsessively picking at breast - walking backwards, somersaulting, rolling etc

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?

Noticed this morning

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?

3 others from same hatch in brooder - all fine

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.

Nothing - also no mites, parasites etc

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.

? This one has always been the "runt" with odd loner behavior but this is really concerning

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.

Crop is empty this morning. Refused any food by hand - no interest. Readily took about an ounce of sugar water via syringe.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.

unknown

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?

Isolated from others, gave water via syringe

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?

Just point me in the right direction -

11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use. 6x6 brooder in garage, 50-60 deg, heat lamp available in corner, pine shaving bedding.

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

hate to say it.....but it sounds like wry neck....treatable, and most fully recover, but they're likely to have it again

The treatment most commonly used in listed on one of the threads....if you can't find it, let me know

 

[trishmk]

Thank you - my husbands been researching in the other room and just said the same thing. Will see what I can find out.

 

[chickenzoo]

Wry neck or head injury. Both treat with a good vitamin such as poultry nutri drench or childrens liquid poly vi sol. Then add vitamin E capsule.... pierce one capsule and dribble in beak (of medium sized capsule or 2 small.) Do for a week, when it looks better, do for another few days. Vitamin E is VERY important. I have also had good luck with a vitamin E/Sel paste for goats.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay I have a question if wry neck is a vitamin defenceny [sp] why doesn't all of the chicks get it?

 

[trishmk]

Just gave her a dose of prednisolone dissolved in water. Soaking up some chick starter now and have the Vit E capsule ready to go.

The others from the same hatch are all at least twice her weight now - she has a really fluffy crest so we trimmed her up a few weeks ago to be sure she could see - didn't seem to have any effect.
Just figured she was a little slower/smaller than the rest -she always ate and drank - just not as much as the rest. Also, I think they might all be males? At any rate, guess this could have been going on for awhile?
The really crazy looking behavior didn't start till this morning but she's always off on her own and was never one to run up to the brooder door like the others for treats.

Thank you for the point in the right direction. Poor thing looks awful - hope she pulls through.

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

The best treatment protocal I found---the one which I use---was posted by Judy King a.k.a. Three Cedars Silkies.

It's not caused by a vitamin deficiency, most vets believe it's a neurological problem caused by the Silkie breed having such a large vault...alot of brain exposed. An injury, a drastic sudden change in temp, or a "wrong" movement by the bird can trigger an episode.

Hate to say it, but if the chick is very young---I cull it. If it's an older chick of PQ, I cull it.

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

Forgot to add~~~once the affected bird is able to eat & drink on it's own, I switch to putting the meds in squished vienna sausage or hard boiled egg.....the twice daily administration in their mouth is traumatic for me & the bird.

 

[trishmk]

I followed the protocol found at:

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article.html

symptoms are the same as described there so I can only assume I'm on the right track.

Is it something you see a lot of Bat Cave Silkies?

These are my first 4 Silkies (I've got another batch in the incubator...eta Jan 13) ... I'm thinking that looking back this one has always had some odd behavior - "detached" - not as connected or as interactive as the others - and had I known back then it may have been kinder to cull?

She's a very pretty bird and my girls (2 and 4) are attached so will keep at it and see if we can get her up and going again. This is her a week or so ago:

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sometimes Chicks whether Silkies or other breeds can have whats called failure to thrive, They might hang on for a while with good TLC which sounds like what your giving, but in the end they usually don't make it. Sorry and hope she pulls through and will be an exception. ..