6 year old Rooster wry neck?? NOW WITH VIDEO!!

[denasfarm]

I have a 6 year old silkie rooster that has been normal his entire life is twisting his head and neck upside down.
I noticed it slightly last night and locked up up. This morning he was twisting and contorting and loosing balance.
Attempting to go forward he is going backwards in the cage as chicks sometimes do with wry neck...but he is 6 years old!
Isnt that a bit old to start wry neck?

When I put him on the ground he fumbled a bit but got his sea legs and was walking(staggering a bit) but his head is still stuck sideways (Looking skywards with one eye)
No other chicken has the symptoms. Is this a disease or an injury? Is this the start of something bad starting? Hes my main Flock Roo so hes been with ALL my girls.
I put him in a small penned area instead of freerange but he is not isolated from the flock other than wire.
I will try and get a couple pics or a vid in a bit.
Thanks

 

[TwoCrows]

I would think that a 6 year old rooster would not contract wry neck. However, wry neck tends to be accompanied with vitamin deficeincies. So you might try some vitamins. Being 6 years old, he may not be absorbing vitamins and minerals properly and this neck issue could be the cause of it.

I have a female quail with neck tremors, balance and coordination issues and it took me a year to figure out that vitamins will stop all this trouble she has. I was giving them to her daily but have cut back to 3 times a week. Her symptoms are gone.

So just an example of things that can go wrong if a bird is not getting enough vitamins. I go on line to get a special vitamin powder I put in the chickens and quail water, but you can get a vitamin mix at your local feed store.

Good luck with your rooster.

 

[denasfarm]

A friend said there is something they can get from moldy food that causes some head twisting. Not sure where he would have gotten moldy food but I dont know what else he could have.
Video is coming...its slowly uploading.

 

[denasfarm]

Quote:
Thanks
I thought about vitamin defeciency however I feed high quality foods. 5way, 13way, chickstarter, gamebird feed etc... I mix it up daily.

He looks worse this evening. When you hold him or cage him its horrible looking. When I put him on the ground he has issues but comes around in a few moments other than the tilted sky eye syndrome.

 

[denasfarm]

This was about 7pm today. Worse than this morning.

Any Ideas??

http://s136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/innerlightacademy/?action=view&current=SANY0861.mp4

 

[86121]

Yup yup its Wry neck, I tried to pull my silkie hen out of it for a long time...but in the end i had to cull her. It was the worst thing i have ever had to do T_T
But apparently Silkies get it because there brains are exposed more then other chickens, one good peck tot he head and poof they have it, stress brings it out and they never fully get over it apparently. Its horrible T_T
I hope your able to pull your guy threw!

 

[denasfarm]

Did you medicate or feed anything special in trying to fix yours? He is my daughters first and most babied chicken.

 

[rosegal]

I have a barred rock that got it last year after an infection of some sort. Prior to the wry neck, she had green poop and I nursed her back to health. A week later she started the neck thing and has been doing it ever since. It doesn't stop her one bit from living a fun filled life and she loves the neck massages she gets nearly every day. She lays her egg on the ground in the same spot and sleeps under the coop because she can't get in and out of it. I just consider her disabled and she is really a sweetheart. She gets very special treatment from all the kids in the neighborhood too.

 

[denasfarm]

I have been searching all day for answers. I found a thread here from 08 that talks about wry neck and the causes.
Seems Silkies are more prone to it if something pokes them on the noggin. I told my daughter that Midnight and Pong(my two roos) are usually very compatable. The last two days they have been sparring and I said we are going to have to let them out one at a time.
I am wondering if Pong got in a hard lick in on Midnights head causing this. Pong is smaller and lighter but anything is possible.
Glad its not contagious. Hopefully he will recooperate soon. I will keep everyone posted.

 

[86121]

Quote:
Oh yes, we gave her a vitamin E pill every day, and a crushed Selenium pill every day in her food. She got daily neck massages *Which she LOVED* every few hours until she was semi better, and a vitamin packet mixed in with her water.
I kept her separate until she was "better" only to have her get even worse as soon as she went back with my other Silkie.
Its something you can sorta control, but it was always be there from what I researched.
I realy hate Wry neck... Its awful to have a bird go threw.