anyone have a chicken recover from torticollis?

[Momma LaRosa]

Hi everyone!
Thanks for reading and those who respond, I have a chicken who recently has an upside-down head.... other than that, she's happily clucking, her eyes are clear, she flaps and walks equally, can drink / eat / poop ok. I'm wondering if there's hope for her to return to the flock and 'chicken' normally.

I read that silkies and some others are prone to this, unfortunately I'm not entirely sure what kind of chicken she is, she has two feathers on each foot and is less than a year old. She's a lovely white with grey.. : )

I immediately removed her from the others and after reviewing some posts here and elsewhere learned of Mereks and Torticollis.... I don't see any other odd behavior in our other chickens, just this one. I've been supplementing her water (and the rest of the flock) and food with vitamins (as recommended in a number of posts) and have seen slight improvement- she can raise her head and can peck at her food, but then again her head twists back upside down.

I can feel her neck tighten and flip her little goofy head upside down. Again after several days she has made slight progress.... it's currently been 4 days of the 'chicken ICU' in my garage. If she was a human I'd give her a muscle relaxer, PT and massage...... : )

Does anyone have experience with this? I don't want to delay the inevitable (as my kids say, Chicken Valhalla), but I also want to give her a fair and humane chance if this just needs time.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us I wish the circumstances were better. Can you post a picture of her? How old is she? If you're dealing with Wry neck vitamin supplements may correct the issue depending on her age.

 

[Momma LaRosa]

Hope this helps, she's less than a year old and this is similar behavior to the other videos of wry neck.

This took longer than it should have... feeling very tech inept... : )

 

[rjohns39]

@Wyorp Rock can you stop by and take a look and offer your thoughts.

While we wait, do you have canned fish in an oil? Preferably pink salmon? If so, give her between a teaspoon and a table spoon (depending on her appetite) morning and evening when you feed her. If you have nutri-drench give her that in lieu of the salmon.

 

[Momma LaRosa]

Thanks for your quick reply!!
I've been giving her the Nutri-Drench diluted in her water.... Do you give it straight in situations like this??

I've also added 'kickin chicken' to her feed- it has Omega-3 & 6, with vitamin e. The Nutri-Drench has selenium specifically as sodium selenite- I was hoping I had a smattering of the correct supplements.
: )

 

[rjohns39]

Thanks for your quick reply!!
I've been giving her the Nutri-Drench diluted in her water.... Do you give it straight in situations like this??

I've also added 'kickin chicken' to her feed- it has Omega-3 & 6, with vitamin e. The Nutri-Drench has selenium specifically as sodium selenite- I was hoping I had a smattering of the correct supplements.
: )

I think you're on the right track. Does she have any pecking injuries to the top of her head?

 

[Abriana]

@Nambroth had a hen with wry neck but she wasn’t able to return to the flock because chickens can always tell when one is injured or sick and kept attacking the poor girl. Derperella lives to this day as a house chicken, and she is absolutely adorable.

 

[Momma LaRosa]

no injuries- pretty sure she was fine the day before I found her.
@Abriana - Derperella.... that's the best.

 

[rjohns39]

@azygous I don't see Wyorp online, can you lend a hand here?

 

[Abriana]

no injuries- pretty sure she was fine the day before I found her.
@Abriana - Derperella.... that's the best.

most likely it was injury to the head or neck while you weren’t around. Or maybe it took a while for it to manifest.
I know, adorable right? You can read the story on a thread called the adventure of featherdust flock. I have read it a million times never gets old.