After reading alot of things about wry neck and seeking advice of people, vets and the internet I thought i'd keep a diary of my silkie and how she is responding to treatment, hopefully this can help others.
I noticed on Sunday (now thursday) that she seemed a bit off, she has always been a bit of a loner and quite shy. I have 3 chickens in total, 2 isa brown cross leghorns which i raised from day 1 and we added boots when Peanut and Nugget turned 6 weeks old. I wanted to ensure i had a female silkie so had to get her at an older age (12 weeks). There was no bullying when I introduced her, infact i dont think the other two realised she was a chicken straight away because of her unusual appearance.
Sunday - I noticed that she hadnt moved at all during the day ( i check them in the morning before I go to work), having sat in the same spot all day she had created a pile of poop, also evidence she hadnt moved. I brought her inside the house for some alone time and to give her some food so I knew she was eating. she ate a little, walked about half a metre then went to sleep in our shaggy rug for about half hour before I put her back in the coop.
Monday was when things went downhill fast, after dinner I went to put some scraps in the coop and she was huddled up in a corner. I tried to encourage her out and noticed she looked like she was having a seizure. very scary and upsetting to see! she tucked her head under her body and it looked like she was scratching her chest but then she did a flip landing on her back and squirming. I grabbed her quickly and brought her inside in a cardboard box, placing her in the corner so that the "sides" would prevent her from flipping again. I looked up the flipping and seizures and identified she probably had wry neck. I called the emergency vets and explained the situation and asked if there were any bird specialist vets available (It might sound bad but I dont want to take her to a general vet as I feel they are likely to put her down because shes "just a chicken"), there wasnt any. I decided to keep her at home and research what I could do, everyone posted about vitamin deficiancy, more specifically Vitamin E, B, and selenium. As it was late I didnt have these on hand so gave her organic coconut water to combat dehydration, egg yolk mixed with coconut water (natural source of Vitamin E and Selenium) and yeast with her feed (Viatmin B), she would not eat this on her own, i had to put it in a ramekin and uncurl her head with my hand, dipping her beak into it before she would drink. She did not eat her food with yeast so i had to mix yeast with the coco water and she drank some.
Tuesday night - no flipping over, head still curled and not walking. Bought liquid Vitamin E capsules and organic selenium tablets (1/8th per serve). she is having coco water with vitamin E capsule and 1/8th selenium tablet during the day starting at 5:30am until about 5pm. before bed she has 1/2 vitamin E tablet 1/16th sleenium with coco water. she ate about 4 mouthfuls of dry food and few mouthfuls of porridge (i blended the oats prior to cooking, made it very watery and put a little honey to make it taste good so she would want to eat it). her poop was watery and had green spinacy, algae looking stuff in it..... Boots is an unusual chicken and doesnt like veggies so I knew this must mean her stomach was empty and this was bile. she also "threw up" water 3 times however i realised this was because her head went straight back down after she drank and she wasnt actually getting it down. I now hold her head up for a little after drinking and she doesnt "throw up". I also called a bird specialist vet and they told me to keep doing what im doing unless she decreases in health then i should bring her in. Also called the breeder to let them know as ive read it can be hereditary, left a message and they havnt called back yet (only open Fri, Sat and Sun).... but i do know she has been vaccinated against mareks, infectious bronchitis and newcastle disease, also wormed.
Wednesday - no flipping over, head still curled and not walking. Continuing vitamin routine as above, didnt eat any dry food. Ate about a thimble amount of porridge and thimble amount of egg yolk mixed with water. no more green poop, no more throwing up. She can go to sleep with her head lifted up and tucked in by her wing (normal for her) but after shes asleep it drops again, sometiomes it wakes her and she'll bring it bak up. After a drink she can keep her head up on her own for a little bit.
Thursday AM - went to bed with head tucked under her wing but this morning head was down. I gave her some of her coco water / vit mix and some egg yolk with water. FYI she has been seperated from other two chickens and sleeping in a empty fish tank, placed in the garage with a heat lamp, she goes to sleep away from the light but is always directly under by morning.
I noticed on Sunday (now thursday) that she seemed a bit off, she has always been a bit of a loner and quite shy. I have 3 chickens in total, 2 isa brown cross leghorns which i raised from day 1 and we added boots when Peanut and Nugget turned 6 weeks old. I wanted to ensure i had a female silkie so had to get her at an older age (12 weeks). There was no bullying when I introduced her, infact i dont think the other two realised she was a chicken straight away because of her unusual appearance.
Sunday - I noticed that she hadnt moved at all during the day ( i check them in the morning before I go to work), having sat in the same spot all day she had created a pile of poop, also evidence she hadnt moved. I brought her inside the house for some alone time and to give her some food so I knew she was eating. she ate a little, walked about half a metre then went to sleep in our shaggy rug for about half hour before I put her back in the coop.
Monday was when things went downhill fast, after dinner I went to put some scraps in the coop and she was huddled up in a corner. I tried to encourage her out and noticed she looked like she was having a seizure. very scary and upsetting to see! she tucked her head under her body and it looked like she was scratching her chest but then she did a flip landing on her back and squirming. I grabbed her quickly and brought her inside in a cardboard box, placing her in the corner so that the "sides" would prevent her from flipping again. I looked up the flipping and seizures and identified she probably had wry neck. I called the emergency vets and explained the situation and asked if there were any bird specialist vets available (It might sound bad but I dont want to take her to a general vet as I feel they are likely to put her down because shes "just a chicken"), there wasnt any. I decided to keep her at home and research what I could do, everyone posted about vitamin deficiancy, more specifically Vitamin E, B, and selenium. As it was late I didnt have these on hand so gave her organic coconut water to combat dehydration, egg yolk mixed with coconut water (natural source of Vitamin E and Selenium) and yeast with her feed (Viatmin B), she would not eat this on her own, i had to put it in a ramekin and uncurl her head with my hand, dipping her beak into it before she would drink. She did not eat her food with yeast so i had to mix yeast with the coco water and she drank some.
Tuesday night - no flipping over, head still curled and not walking. Bought liquid Vitamin E capsules and organic selenium tablets (1/8th per serve). she is having coco water with vitamin E capsule and 1/8th selenium tablet during the day starting at 5:30am until about 5pm. before bed she has 1/2 vitamin E tablet 1/16th sleenium with coco water. she ate about 4 mouthfuls of dry food and few mouthfuls of porridge (i blended the oats prior to cooking, made it very watery and put a little honey to make it taste good so she would want to eat it). her poop was watery and had green spinacy, algae looking stuff in it..... Boots is an unusual chicken and doesnt like veggies so I knew this must mean her stomach was empty and this was bile. she also "threw up" water 3 times however i realised this was because her head went straight back down after she drank and she wasnt actually getting it down. I now hold her head up for a little after drinking and she doesnt "throw up". I also called a bird specialist vet and they told me to keep doing what im doing unless she decreases in health then i should bring her in. Also called the breeder to let them know as ive read it can be hereditary, left a message and they havnt called back yet (only open Fri, Sat and Sun).... but i do know she has been vaccinated against mareks, infectious bronchitis and newcastle disease, also wormed.
Wednesday - no flipping over, head still curled and not walking. Continuing vitamin routine as above, didnt eat any dry food. Ate about a thimble amount of porridge and thimble amount of egg yolk mixed with water. no more green poop, no more throwing up. She can go to sleep with her head lifted up and tucked in by her wing (normal for her) but after shes asleep it drops again, sometiomes it wakes her and she'll bring it bak up. After a drink she can keep her head up on her own for a little bit.
Thursday AM - went to bed with head tucked under her wing but this morning head was down. I gave her some of her coco water / vit mix and some egg yolk with water. FYI she has been seperated from other two chickens and sleeping in a empty fish tank, placed in the garage with a heat lamp, she goes to sleep away from the light but is always directly under by morning.
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shes napping quite normal right now with head tucked under her wing
