3 month old Silkie with Wry neck. Help!

[Lineen86]

I'm a new chicken tender and yesterday afternoon while doing some improvements on their run, I noticed on of my silkies dragging her head and unable to walk. I had been in and out of the coop and run several times over the course of 3 or 4 hours and she was completely fine, walking eating etc. I'm wondering if it's an injury? I've read about vitamin deficiency but they are still on Nutrena grower feed and I use Wellness Brew in their every day water which has added vitamins. Please help! How do I help this chicky babe!?

 

[nuthatched]

Wellness Brew is a straight up con and not to be used every day.
Silkies are prone to vitamin deficiency.
Give her 400i.u vitamin E capsule and about a third of a B complex tablet every day for a few weeks, any brand from the grocery store.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm a new chicken tender and yesterday afternoon while doing some improvements on their run, I noticed on of my silkies dragging her head and unable to walk. I had been in and out of the coop and run several times over the course of 3 or 4 hours and she was completely fine, walking eating etc. I'm wondering if it's an injury? I've read about vitamin deficiency but they are still on Nutrena grower feed and I use Wellness Brew in their every day water which has added vitamins. Please help! How do I help this chicky babe!?

Welcome To BYC!

Can you post photos of her?


Dragging her head and unable to walk? Could she have suffered a peck to the head or head/neck trauma?

You're adding Wellness Brew to the water, do the chick have a drinker with fresh plain water too?

What have your temperatures been like?

How long have you had her? How long has she been outside? Was she introduced or integrated into an older/adult/existing flock, if so, how long ago was that?

Look her over really well for injury. It's probably a good idea to cage her or bring her aside so she's not pecked at. Work on hydration, then see if she will eat a little wet mushy feed.

 

[Lineen86]

I looked her over really well and don't see any obvious injury. The flock she is with has been her flock since she hatched in April. She is with some bigger birds (I have a mix of silkies, barred rock, leghorn, maran and australorpe) but none of them have ever shown aggression towards one another before. The wellness brew has been in their water always and I've not offered plain water (I followed the directions on the bottle and it says it can be added to daily drinking water so I assumed it was okay?). I live in Michigan and it's been sunny and between 84 to 86 degrees and high humidity for the past month or so with lows at night in the 70s. They have a shed for a coop that's 10x12 with windows and screen doors. During the day they are in a run. I will try to post photos of her tomorrow. I started vitamin supplements today but she is not eating or drinking so I did syringe feed her some water with hydrohen in it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I looked her over really well and don't see any obvious injury. The flock she is with has been her flock since she hatched in April. She is with some bigger birds (I have a mix of silkies, barred rock, leghorn, maran and australorpe) but none of them have ever shown aggression towards one another before. The wellness brew has been in their water always and I've not offered plain water (I followed the directions on the bottle and it says it can be added to daily drinking water so I assumed it was okay?). I live in Michigan and it's been sunny and between 84 to 86 degrees and high humidity for the past month or so with lows at night in the 70s. They have a shed for a coop that's 10x12 with windows and screen doors. During the day they are in a run. I will try to post photos of her tomorrow. I started vitamin supplements today but she is not eating or drinking so I did syringe feed her some water with hydrohen in it.

Can you post some good clear photos of the Wellness Brew labeling, front and back?

I would offer her plain water and get her hydrated.

You are giving hydro hen in addition to the Wellness Brew?

 

[Lineen86]

I did not mix the hydro hen and wellness brew. I separated her from the flock when I noticed she was struggling. She has a separate bowl of feed and a separate waterer with hydro hen in it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you get photos of her and her poop?

Thank you for the photo of the brew.

I would start giving her plain water. Do give the vitamins for the Wry Neck symptoms, but those can just be given orally.

I do realize that a lot of these products to give daily, but most of the time extra supplements/additives are not necessary unless there's a problem. It's certainly not something I would give every day all their life. The birds really should be getting all the nutrients they need by feeding a nutritionally balanced poultry feed along with a few small treats and/or foraging.

As for why she's having symptoms. Silkies are prone to having Neurological problems, so it may just be the breed. Could be something else.

 

[Lineen86]

Can you get photos of her and her poop?

Thank you for the photo of the brew.

I would start giving her plain water. Do give the vitamins for the Wry Neck symptoms, but those can just be given orally.

I do realize that a lot of these products to give daily, but most of the time extra supplements/additives are not necessary unless there's a problem. It's certainly not something I would give every day all their life. The birds really should be getting all the nutrients they need by feeding a nutritionally balanced poultry feed along with a few small treats and/or foraging.

As for why she's having symptoms. Silkies are prone to having Neurological problems, so it may just be the breed. Could be something else.

Here is a picture of her. She seems much better this morning as far as her head isn't turning so far and she is able to walk a little more normally. Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture of her poop from last night because she must have dragged herself through it last night from not being able to stand and walk properly. Thank you for the advice on the wellness brew. I wouldn't be too upset to not provide that in all water for the rest of their lives as it is pretty costly but I definitely want what is best for my birds . Any advice on how to get her to eat? She has access to her feed and water but she wants nothing to do with me hand feeding her anything.

 

[Lineen86]

Here is a picture of her. She seems much better this morning as far as her head isn't turning so far and she is able to walk a little more normally. Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture of her poop from last night because she must have dragged herself through it last night from not being able to stand and walk properly. Thank you for the advice on the wellness brew. I wouldn't be too upset to not provide that in all water for the rest of their lives as it is pretty costly but I definitely want what is best for my birds . Any advice on how to get her to eat? She has access to her feed and water but she wants nothing to do with me hand feeding her anything.

Perfect timing. She pooped when I was cleaning her face lol

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can she see o.k.? Do the feathers around her eyes need a trim?

See if you can get her to eat/drink on her own.