Chick Doing Spastic Somersaults?

[Eggcessive]

Sorry that she is a little worse. I have never seen wry neck in my flock before, but many others have treated it. Here is a older long thread where you can read through, or start at the end and go backwards to look at more recent posts:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck.97121/

 

[TomboyChickens]

Thanks, everyone. It's very helpful now knowing that I should be looking at Wry Neck or Vitamin E Encephalopathy. The threads you've pointed me to are great. Thank goodness for Backyard Chickens. It's like a Wry Neck Chick Mom Support Group!

 

[TomboyChickens]

We've been helping her turn over when we find her on her back or on her side. She turns right over with a little nudge. Should we be doing this? It looks awful when she lies on her back or side, but maybe it's not hurting her?

 

[pglegjig]

My 3 week old chick (Rhode Island Red) started jerking her neck and has "seizures" which include the somersaults mentioned earlier. Started 3 days ago. She was fine in the morning but that evening she started the head jerking and neck twisting. It has gotten worse but she does have a reprieve now and then at which time she eats and drinks, A LOT. She seems to be most comfortable when I hold her and has a few minor spasms but for the most part she is fine and falls asleep. Can sleep for hours on her own with very few spasms. Have separated her from the rest of the clutch, which by the way is doing great. Brand new to chicken life. This is my first round. Please help me help her!

 

[Eggcessive]

My 3 week old chick (Rhode Island Red) started jerking her neck and has "seizures" which include the somersaults mentioned earlier. Started 3 days ago. She was fine in the morning but that evening she started the head jerking and neck twisting. It has gotten worse but she does have a reprieve now and then at which time she eats and drinks, A LOT. She seems to be most comfortable when I hold her and has a few minor spasms but for the most part she is fine and falls asleep. Can sleep for hours on her own with very few spasms. Have separated her from the rest of the clutch, which by the way is doing great. Brand new to chicken life. This is my first round. Please help me help her!

You may get more replies if you start a new thread of your own here—click on post new thread in blue box:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/
I would start some poultry vitamins, such as Poultry Cell which has vitamins and minerals. Dosage is 1 ml daily. What do you feed your chicks? Does her neck seem normal, or have you seen it twist in any direction? Could she have been injured?

 

[pglegjig]

I feed my chicks Naturally Free Organic Chick Starter. Would you recommend a medicated starter? Yes her head twists around and she tucks it underneath almost touching her belly. She's a plump girl. Eats and drinks a lot. Forgot to mention that she is excessively preening. Like I said I'm new to chicken life. Live on an island with one pet supply store. I will see if they have Poultry Cell but if not do you have another suggestion? Need something immediately otherwise I would order online. Poly-Vi-Sol was a suggestion.
Pretty sure it's a head injury. She was fine in the morning but later that night was when I noticed there was something wrong. Wrapped her in a towel last night and held her and she fell asleep immediately. Slept for hours. Probably from exhaustion. No tremors whatsoever....

 

[Eggcessive]

She does not need medicated starter. The vitamins that are important are vitamin E and B1 thiamine. A bit of selenium is good as well. E and selenium are found in sunflower hearts and tuna. Polyvisol without iron is okay to use, 3 drops daily, but if you have to order something, Poultry Cell would be the one I would get. That dosage is 1 ml daily for each 3 pounds of weight.

 

[Brandi_m_f]

We have a two week old Delaware chick. Earlier this week I found her standing with her head on the floor, rocking. Eventually she did a forward roll and got back up again. We’d also find her lying on her back or on her side. With a gentle nudge to turn her over she’d hop right back up. We thought it was wry neck and started treating her as advised on BYC: selenium, PVS, and Vitamin E. She seemed better but in addition to the symptoms noted above, she’s started having fits where she does frantic somersaults. She gets right up from a spastic forward roll and either walks around or eats, or she’ll do a series of them. It’s getting worse. Her little trough mate keeps sounding the alarm and I keep jumping out of bed to flip her back over. Is this wry neck? Something else? I want to be sure we’re treating the right thing. Here’s a video of her flipping and in the reply below I’ve posted one of her lying on her back. Thanks everyone!

How did your chick do and what did you do for it? We have a chick doing the exact same thing.

 

[pglegjig]

How did your chick do and what did you do for it? We have a chick doing the exact same thing.

How did your chick do and what did you do for it? We have a chick doing the exact same thing.

Very experienced Chicken Mom showed me what has helped her chicks in the same situation. IT WORKS! She is a thriving beauty.. Fat, happy and pops out a lot of eggs. Treated 3 other chicks since and had amazing results. Super easy process. Found a video on YouTube that breaks it down... Sending good juju... Best of luck! ~P

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[Old flock yet new]

I have a jersey giant...she tilts her head side ways looks at the ground the tucks and rolls. I have her by herself fixed the water and food spilling issue..walks over and does the summersault into the dishes..so now she walks around the stops looks down sides ways then tucks and rolls