Chick with wry neck

[chicknmania]

Hello, I have a two week old Welsummer chick who has developed wry neck. I got her from the feed mill and she's been healthy up til now, as have the other chicks (who are different breeds). I have put high potency poultry vitamins (Rooster Booster B & K) in their water, and she has drunk a lot of it. She also seems to have a lice infestation so I treated her with Poultry Protector, and I will treat their pen, also. She is so small, though, I'm just not sure how to administer vitamin e and selenium, and what the quantities would be for a bird that small. Can anyone give me direction on this? Should I use a dropper, and how much? And how do I keep her from aspirating it?

 

[chickcrack]

Hello. I have only dealt with wry neck once so I am far from an expert. Not positive on correct doses but had a little cockerel pop out of the egg with wry neck and treated as best I could. He turns 1 next month...still has a few issues but gets along ok. He had such a hard time drinking that I started giving him 1/4 of a cucumber (with really tiny seeds) 3-4 times a day as he seemed to be able to Peck at it and supplement his fluid intake. I quickly realized that I could spread his vitamin e and selenium on the cucumber and get it into him that way. Worked like a charm and I didn't have to panic about squirting things down his throat. He was a banty so very tiny to hold onto. I don't really recall doses to be honest and don't want to give you wrong info but just a suggestion to get it into her. Good luck and don't give up too fast...my guy had several relapses before he could finally keep his head upright.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Our little wry neck chick that hatched this year we only supplemented vitamin with electrolyte to the community water. Four weeks now and you'd have to look for it to notice she still has minor issues. She should grow out of it.

 

[chicknmania]

That is interesting because Prudence the chick already seems much better. She seemed to steadily improve throughout the day and by evening was walking around a lot and scratching the ground, a big improvement from yesterday when she just lay around all day. Her face stilll looks a little weird; something not quite right about her still, but I am very much hopeful. They are all on the vitamin water together, and I am going to continue with the Poultry Protector spray too, just in case that has something to do with it. I wonder if it would hurt the others if I tried the cucumber trick and they all got some Vitamin E and Selennium in the process?

 

[TerryH]

We had a wry neck chick earlier in the spring. We took a vitamin E capsule, cut the end off and gave her the contents on a Q tip every day. Basically just held it up to her beak and she would eventually get it. We gave the entire flock NutriDrench in their water. We gave the sick one some of the NutriDrench on a Q tip also. It's been a month or so. She's perfectly normal now. Here's the thread. I had no clue what it was at first.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1098818/very-odd-situation-with-1-week-old-chick

 

[chickcrack]

I'm so glad to hear she is already improving! Nice job!!! I'm not sure I would give the vitamin e/selenium to everyone if they seem healthy. I do know that selenium is not good in large doses and I think rooster booster has vitamin e in it. Myself I would treat the chick with symptoms and continue treatment for a week after all signs of illness are gone. I still give my little wry neck guy extra vitamin b,e and a bit of selenium weekly and it seems to keep his balance better. But he was a pretty severe case. Sounds like you are well on the way to recovery. Congrats

 

[chicknmania]

OK. I also found that sunflower seeds have vitamin e and selenium in them! So today I gave all the babies a few, that were shelled and finely chopped. I added the contents of a vit e capsule and 1/4 tab selenium mixed with a little applesauce, to their food, but maybe I won't do that tomorrow. I will try the q tip idea if she doesn't continue to improve. She seems wobbly in the morning, but then improves throughout the day. But I'm worried the RB might be just giving her a big boost and not really doing that much, I'm just not sure. It doesn't have Vit e in it, I looked. The chick feed does though. She was eating quite a bit, and drinking a lot..more than the others. But she also was play sparring with the others, a couple of times, so I was happy to see that. Still not anywhere near as active as they are though.

 

[chicknmania]

Thanks everyone! She's been improving steadily. We tried the vitamin e and selenium on a q tip too mixed with a little applesauce for the past four days.. Today she ate her applesauce herself. Her neck has straightened and she is acting normal; playing, flying, running, perching. I am gonna keep her on the sunflower seeds and vitamins iin the water for a while longer, and just keep an eye on her and use the vitamin e capsules again if she looks like she's backsliding.. She's just a tiny bit wobbly but gaining weight and seems so much happier! Just wanted to update.

 

[chickcrack]

Great news!