Chick can't hold head up

[horsekeeper]

The vitamins and cooked egg with the chick crumbles are helping. The chick drank and ate with almost no help just now. She needs assistance in body position and to get her head up in position and then goes to town on the food. She seems strong and bright eyed so I have hope she will recover. Other posts say it can take about 3 days to a week to show real improvement.

earnhardtlvr, have you tried the vitamins? So many chick problems here seem to be related to deficiencies, sometimes suspected metabolic problems with absorbing nutrients well enough. Let me know how your baby is doing.

 

[Zinnia-Hen]

Yep, sounds like wry neck. Though I've never had a chick with it, I do know some of the basics to dealing with it. First, realize this chick might not live too long because of her condition, as it causes brain swelling and damage to crested breeds. Secondly, TLC is the key. It sounds like you're taking care of her right, what you're feeding her is good so far. Last, if she lives long enough you'll probably want to separate her from the flock and keep a close eye on her inside, treating her as needed.

Good luck, I hope things get a little better.

 

[earnhardtlvr]

Well i just took out of chickie hospital and got her to drink a little more gatorade...se ate just a bit of yogurt off my finger...but seems to just want to sleep. I have her in a smaller box and she is cuddled down inside a fuzzy slipper with a wash cloth over her for a blanket and is just sleeping. When I pick her up at first she chirps hysterically...but then calms when I hold her for a moment. I will have to get the liquid baby vitamins tomorrow and see if that helps??

I nursed one back to health that was a runt...so hopefully I can do it again! I hope ur baby gets better...please keep updating!

 

[earnhardtlvr]

Quote:
Thank u so much for taking the time to respond! I'm a newbie and I really have learned alot on here because of kind people like u!

 

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

It does sound like wry neck. Click on the link to my web page and on the 2nd tab I have the treatment listed I have used with great sucess. Email me directly if you have questions. Pred is the key to recovery in my opnion but you will have to get it from a vet it is very not expensive as long as you don't have to take the bird in.
Good luck with your chick.

 

[Zinnia-Hen]

Quote:
Thank u so much for taking the time to respond! I'm a newbie and I really have learned alot on here because of kind people like u!

*Bows*

 

[horsekeeper]

"Peanut" scared the bejeebers out of me. She has recovered enough to jump out of her box and off the top of the brooder and scoot into the corner of the room! She is able to eat and drink on her own for a short time and then needs help with posture to finish filling up. She is also preening her feathers and protesting and struggling to shove her head further into the feed dish.

I'm afraid to put her in with the others yet because she still curls under and runs backwards and has poor equalibrium in spells and she might get trampled. She isn't feathering in as fast and is not keeping up with the amazing growth rate of the others. I might end up with a house chicken

. thanks to everyone who posted over the years on what this is and how to treat.

Nice site Splendid and thanks for the support Zinnia.

 

[shay20]

Give her vitamin b 13

 

[tclegg]

bump

 

[jtbeckett]

Can I ask what finally happened with peanut? I have a brahma that the feed store gave me 'cause she just spun in circles and didn't seem to be able to walk straight. I thought it might be an inner ear thing and it might clear up... but she gets tired a lot and can't hold her head up when that happens. I searched to see what was wrong, and I keep coming up with wry neck as the problem... unfortunately, I have an autoimmune disease, myself, so I had lots of prednisone laying around. This will be her third day on the stuff, and I gave her b12 the first day, but the second day she's been on a liquid b complex and vit e as well as selenium... she also has a little pasty-butt cornish companion that they were gonna cull, too. (Free chicks are expensive!)

I have seen mild improvement... the wry neck brahma used to shake like a bobblehead, and she barely does that... she is now capable of running in a straight line, but usually ends up veering off and ending in a little circle at the end. She still tires easily and her head goes down between her toes.

Just looking for a little hope... or not...