Chick with micro seizurs? "ticking" Need Help!!!

[Duckchick2011]

My dad just went to buy some save a chick. Hope this helps.

 

[Duckchick2011]

Wry neck seems likely. What kind of chick is it? (EDIT: Just read it's a mixed breed. Is it crested?) Certain breeds (specifically those with vaulted skulls such as Silkies) are much more prone to it than others. My Silkie had it as a chick and recovered after extensive care.

If it is not Wry Neck or mites/lice, it could be a vitamin deficiency. Nutri-drench is a must. Otherwise, some chicks just have problems from birth and can't be helped.

She isn't crested. She is from a cornish hen but the owner didn't have a clue what sort of bird her father was.

Right now she seems to want to lean against things, she isn't following me around as much any more.I can see she is going down hill.

I checked her ears and they look normal. She hasn't been itching any so I don't think mites are it. At this point I'm hoping it is just Wry neck.

An older hen of mine pecked her on the head pretty good earlier, there aren't any signs of injury but...maybe that is what caused her to start going down hill???

 

[Duckchick2011]

Gave her the save a chick but she isn't thirsty right now.

She keeps leaning against the wall of her box. Always on her left side.

I'm actually starting to wonder if this is a head injury? She was pecked pretty good by an older hen today, and it wasn't too long after that that she started getting worse. :/

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes a head injury could cause wry neck or other neurological symptoms if she was hurt. How old is she? Wry neck has a lot of different symptoms, from the neck twisting or twitching, walking in circles or backward. Seizures could also be possible if she is twitching a part of her body, or having generalized muscle spasms all over the body, followed by relaxation. Seizures can be common in chickens, and there isn't much to be done as in other animals. Just keep on with the vitamins and electrolytes, offering her the usual chicken feed, maybe a little chopped egg. Wry neck itself can take a long time to treat.

 

[Duckchick2011]

Hmmmm...do you mean to say that she could just be "having seizures" and there not be one specific cause...like she's epileptic or something?

Just to re-cap:

It started with her jerking her neck to one side over and over again. (spasms)
She never lost consciousness.
Today she had a real fit, I only heard it though.
When I went in to check she had knocked her food over and was sitting in the corner on her hocks with her toes curled.
She got back up after awhile.
She seemed fine for a little bit.
Then she started walking in a circle backwards with her head to the side a little.
Now she just wants to lean against the wall of her box.
She can stand if I pull her away.
Her legs seem okay though, at least from what I can tell.
She doesn't want to sit at all.

I am leaning toward head injury or Wry neck, although she isn't showing the classic symptoms that I've seen in videos.

I'm not sure of her exact age. She has most if not all of her feathers(except for her tail feathers

), she's about the size of a big softball, her comb and wattles are small, and she still makes the chick sounds.

I'm going to keep on giving it my all but I'm pretty much prepared for the worst. She just went from being a normal fluffy chicklette to being seriously ill, it's a little bit of a downer to say the least.

 

[Eggcessive]

H ere are some good links on wry neck and 3 threads about seizures:
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/478406/rooster-seizure
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1068996/chicken-has-seizures
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/818266/seizures

 

[Duckchick2011]

Well she looks better today. She woke up and is eating, drinking, and walking around normal. I'm starting to think she is just prone to seizures.

I think maybe stress sets them off I guess.

I will keep her under a close eye the rest of the week and see how things go.

Thank everyone for all the links and the help.

 

[KayTee]

Thanks for the update Duckchick - I hope she continues to improve for you.

 

[Duckchick2011]

Well today would be the second day of no seizures(so far) She looks much much better! No more ticking, all the lethargy she had is gone. She is now very very curious about everything and
hunting down bugs when I bring her outside. She seems even better than when I first brought her home.

She isn't crying like she was either, she just chirps, AND her chirps are starting to "crack" a little bit so I think she will be growing into grown chicken sounds soon. So I'm excited. *Phew* That was an ordeal.

Looking back it could have a few things.

Either extreme stress (she was VERY dehydrated when I first brought her home)
Head injury(from that mean old hen)
Or the chick food I gave when she first got home could have been spoiled. It was a little old so there is the possibility.

Poor little chick has been through the ringer now that I think back.

BUT she has survived and is giving me lots of positive signs. I think we are through the woods.

What I learned? Lots of things, the main one being just because a chick looks really bad off doesn't mean they can't recover.

 

[KayTee]

I would imagine that stress and dehydration may well have played a part. I am so pleased to know that she seems to be recovering well. She is very lucky to have someone who cares so much about her!