I have a lavender orpington cockerel who has a crooked neck. I have treated chicks with wry neck before, and this looks different to me. I have attached videos and pics of him below. His spine crooks severely to the right as it exits his body, and he holds it almost in an S shape. When he walks, it appears that he is hump-backed and off-balance. It almost looks like he has some weakness in his right leg as well, but I can't really tell if it's because of the severity of his neck curvature or actually his leg. (I can't see anything mechanically wrong with the leg.) I can physically straighten his neck out, however as soon as I release it, it goes back to the right. He seems to have a full range of motion in it, and I have also seen him extend it fully straight, (as in when roosters crane their necks up and fluff their feathers out.) Just not sure if this is some type of spinal/congenital defect or if I should continue trying to treat it like wry neck and looking for advice.
He is about 11 weeks old, and I bought him when just a few days old, along with 7 other chicks from a breeder who advertises as NPIP/AI clean.
He eats Purina Flock Raiser crumbles, and I give scrambled eggs, mealworms and occasionally fruit as treats. He has a very good appetite, and is the biggest of his group. His poop looks normal. I am giving him some of the selenium and vitamin e gel (for livestock).
Lengthy back story: The entire group of chicks had health issues from the first week, and I pretty much exhausted my "medicine cabinet" raising them. I kept them in a brooder inside away from my older flock, and I have raised several groups of chicks successfully over the past 3 years. At a week old, these were less active than normal chicks, some hunched up and standing around. At first, I thought they must have coccidia and I treated them with a week of corid solution (1 tsp per gallon) in their water, although I never saw bloody stools. I followed with Nutri Drench and lots of scrambled eggs. They didn't improve and some started sneezing/having secretions from nose. I treated with Tylan in their water at that point, thinking respiratory. A couple developed diarrhea, and I next treated with more Corid, at the advice of the breeder. I ended up losing the one that had the worst diarrhea at about 5 weeks old. The remainder of them continued to just be "droopy" and not active. I continued to supplement them with things like probiotics and electrolytes in their water, as well as mash with Nutri Drench. By about 8 weeks old, I honestly just decided I had done all I could do, and I moved them outside to a small coop by themselves. I didn't notice that this guy's neck was crooked until I moved them outside! They are now 11-12 weeks old. At this time 6 of the remaining chicks appear very healthy. One of the other lavender orpingtons is about 1/3 the size of the others, and has very few feathers, however she has a voracious appetite and is very spunky, so I have hopes that she will eventually catch up to her siblings.
I am just wondering if I should continue to supplement him with the selenium and vitamin e...perhaps I'm not giving enough? Is this even wry neck or something else going on?? I've just been giving scrambled eggs with a little of the gel mixed up in them and occasionally a pea-sized amount directly in his mouth. I haven't really seen any improvement.
He is about 11 weeks old, and I bought him when just a few days old, along with 7 other chicks from a breeder who advertises as NPIP/AI clean.
He eats Purina Flock Raiser crumbles, and I give scrambled eggs, mealworms and occasionally fruit as treats. He has a very good appetite, and is the biggest of his group. His poop looks normal. I am giving him some of the selenium and vitamin e gel (for livestock).
Lengthy back story: The entire group of chicks had health issues from the first week, and I pretty much exhausted my "medicine cabinet" raising them. I kept them in a brooder inside away from my older flock, and I have raised several groups of chicks successfully over the past 3 years. At a week old, these were less active than normal chicks, some hunched up and standing around. At first, I thought they must have coccidia and I treated them with a week of corid solution (1 tsp per gallon) in their water, although I never saw bloody stools. I followed with Nutri Drench and lots of scrambled eggs. They didn't improve and some started sneezing/having secretions from nose. I treated with Tylan in their water at that point, thinking respiratory. A couple developed diarrhea, and I next treated with more Corid, at the advice of the breeder. I ended up losing the one that had the worst diarrhea at about 5 weeks old. The remainder of them continued to just be "droopy" and not active. I continued to supplement them with things like probiotics and electrolytes in their water, as well as mash with Nutri Drench. By about 8 weeks old, I honestly just decided I had done all I could do, and I moved them outside to a small coop by themselves. I didn't notice that this guy's neck was crooked until I moved them outside! They are now 11-12 weeks old. At this time 6 of the remaining chicks appear very healthy. One of the other lavender orpingtons is about 1/3 the size of the others, and has very few feathers, however she has a voracious appetite and is very spunky, so I have hopes that she will eventually catch up to her siblings.
I am just wondering if I should continue to supplement him with the selenium and vitamin e...perhaps I'm not giving enough? Is this even wry neck or something else going on?? I've just been giving scrambled eggs with a little of the gel mixed up in them and occasionally a pea-sized amount directly in his mouth. I haven't really seen any improvement.
