Can chicks be hatched with crooked neck?

[BirdBrain]

I had a chick hatch this morning that keeps looking up as if she can't help it. What causes this?

 

[chickabator]

I was told that vitamin E defeciency causes it. sometimes it can be helped but sometimes it can't I hatched out 2 in the past that was like that so we upped the vitamins in my hens. give the chick some poly vi sol 3 drops on its beak 1 x a day for 3 days

 

[chickenhick]

There are several posts here about chicks like that..its call "stargazers". Most said that they will grow out of it. It may have been the position in the egg. Just make sure it is eating and drinking and the others are not pecking at it. See what happens in a couple of weeks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chickenhick and Chickabator give good advice. I also advise patience. Odds are it will grow out of it.

I don't know if this is an inherited trait or not. I don't know your management methods or your goals. If you raise your own replacements, I would suggest that you consider whether you allow this one to breed. I'm not saying to kill it now or ever. I'm just saying with your goals and methods, you might want to consider not raising replacements from this chick. If you are breeding for show and this one conforms perfectly, you might want to breed from this one specifically. Your option.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

It can be inherited and denotes your protein and vitamins and minerals are not high enough in the parent birds
If your feeding a lot of corn quit that and get them on at least 16% layer commercial feed
also give them some pigeon mineralized grit in a feeder by its self

that will boost the minerals and also do this for breeders
1/2 gallon of wheat
1/4 cup of wheat germ oil pure not blended

mix good and let stand overnight
mix and feed 3 tbsp per adult chicken for Vit E

also do this
1/2 gallon of wheat
1/4 cup of cod lver oil vit A & D
mix and feed a different day than the wheat germ oil

the two oils out do each other when blended
so give it on different days

do this for remainder of haatching time
this gives them the needed vitamins

THE CHICK NEEDS VIT E AND B COMPLEX
The chick can be given vit E
by getting the vit E oil capsules for humans
and each day for a week cut the capsule and open the chicks beak and push the oil out of the capsule in to the mouth of chick
this should help

The chick needs Vit B
so give some Vit B crushed up and put in spoon of water
then take eye dropper and put down chiks beak

this is good information on the problem

 

[BirdBrain]

Thanks for all the info. This chick is doing fine now. I can't tell it apart from the others. I'm glad for a happy ending on this.