Chick with wry neck

[Ezzfletcher]

I have a silkie chick with wry neck I read up and have been giving it vitamin e and brewers yeast and also giving it herbs such as basil... It seemed to improve and the wry neck was hardly noticeable however a week later and its worse than it was before it seems to be losing its balance backing into corners I keep having to get it out of it water bowl ( I've taken this out now and changed it to a water dispenser it can't get into) and it now seems lethargic I had it on my knee yesterday for over an hour trying to feed it chick crumb covered in vitamin e and it spent most the time asleep on me but it's also spending alot of time stood with its eyes shut.... I don't know what else to try I've other chicks and this is the only one affected so I'm assuming now it's not vitamin deficiency and that it's potentially a brain injury.... I really don't know what to do for the best now... any advice would be appreciated

 

[Shadrach]

Hello Ezzfletcher.
Weocome to BYC.
Id this a bought chick, or an incubator hatching? I assume it's not broody hatched because there is no mention of mum.
If it is brain damage and from what you write, it doesn't seem capable of fending for itself then you have to decide if you are prepared to take care of the chick for as long as it survives, or put the poor chick out of it's misery.
I only broody hatch and for me this makes these choices easier. If mum won't look after the chick then I kill them. It sounds a bit heartless but they won't have any quality of life imo even if they survived with my constant care.

 

[Ezzfletcher]

Its incubator hatched first time I've had chickens it's heart breaking seeing it like it is at the moment I've obviously seperated it from the others but I know wry neck isn't a quick fix I just don't want to give up on it if it's potentially going to be OK... Such a hard choice... I obviously don't want want the poor little thing to be in pain either

 

[Eggcessive]

I would get some vitamin B complex to use instead of the brewers yeast, and give 400 IU of vitamin E daily, along with a little bit of cooked egg for selenium. Hand feeding the chick several times a day might be best to see if the chick improves. But if it won’t eat and drink for you, it may not survive. Having chicks hatch who won’t eat or cannot stand is one reason I do not incubate chicks anymore. You have to be willing to put them down so they don’t suffer. So sorry that you have been trying so hard, and it doesn’t seem like the chick will make it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a silkie chick with wry neck I read up and have been giving it vitamin e and brewers yeast and also giving it herbs such as basil... It seemed to improve and the wry neck was hardly noticeable however a week later and its worse than it was before it seems to be losing its balance backing into corners I keep having to get it out of it water bowl ( I've taken this out now and changed it to a water dispenser it can't get into) and it now seems lethargic I had it on my knee yesterday for over an hour trying to feed it chick crumb covered in vitamin e and it spent most the time asleep on me but it's also spending alot of time stood with its eyes shut.... I don't know what else to try I've other chicks and this is the only one affected so I'm assuming now it's not vitamin deficiency and that it's potentially a brain injury.... I really don't know what to do for the best now... any advice would be appreciated

Its incubator hatched first time I've had chickens it's heart breaking seeing it like it is at the moment I've obviously seperated it from the others but I know wry neck isn't a quick fix I just don't want to give up on it if it's potentially going to be OK... Such a hard choice... I obviously don't want want the poor little thing to be in pain either

Hi @Ezzfletcher Welcome To BYC
I'm sorry to hear about your chick, how old is she?

I agree, try vitamin E with b-complex for a couple of days to see if that makes a difference.
You mention that you also changed the water dispenser - can she drink on her own at all? Doesn't sound like it - you will need to keep her hydrated, every hour or so try to get some fluids into her.
Once she is hydrated, try giving wet chick starter - dry crumbles may be hard to manage.

It's very sad when a chick is not doing well, I understand you want to do what you can for her. Sometimes chicks fail to thrive, Silkies can also have neurological or brain damage and she may not recover. It would be good to evaluate her several times a day and if you feel that she is not responding, put her out of her misery.

 

[Ezzfletcher]

Hi @Ezzfletcher Welcome To BYC
I'm sorry to hear about your chick, how old is she?

I agree, try vitamin E with b-complex for a couple of days to see if that makes a difference.
You mention that you also changed the water dispenser - can she drink on her own at all? Doesn't sound like it - you will need to keep her hydrated, every hour or so try to get some fluids into her.
Once she is hydrated, try giving wet chick starter - dry crumbles may be hard to manage.

It's very sad when a chick is not doing well, I understand you want to do what you can for her. Sometimes chicks fail to thrive, Silkies can also have neurological or brain damage and she may not recover. It would be good to evaluate her several times a day and if you feel that she is not responding, put her out of her misery.

She's about 4 weeks old shes not good at all and we decide its time but then she perks up head straight eating drinking OK and then a few minutes later back to being rubbish... I'm giving the little chick until tomorrow and see how it's doing then but I'm not holding much hope

 

[Ezzfletcher]

I spoke to another person locally that had chickens and now breeds them aswell and she bought from the same place as me and her chicks had wry neck so it sounds like it's genetic

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She's about 4 weeks old shes not good at all and we decide its time but then she perks up head straight eating drinking OK and then a few minutes later back to being rubbish... I'm giving the little chick until tomorrow and see how it's doing then but I'm not holding much hope

I spoke to another person locally that had chickens and now breeds them aswell and she bought from the same place as me and her chicks had wry neck so it sounds like it's genetic

I'm sorry

 

[Ezzfletcher]

Hi @Ezzfletcher Welcome To BYC
I'm sorry to hear about your chick, how old is she?

I agree, try vitamin E with b-complex for a couple of days to see if that makes a difference.
You mention that you also changed the water dispenser - can she drink on her own at all? Doesn't sound like it - you will need to keep her hydrated, every hour or so try to get some fluids into her.
Once she is hydrated, try giving wet chick starter - dry crumbles may be hard to manage.

It's very sad when a chick is not doing well, I understand you want to do what you can for her. Sometimes chicks fail to thrive, Silkies can also have neurological or brain damage and she may not recover. It would be good to evaluate her several times a day and if you feel that she is not responding, put her out of her misery.

I'll try b complex thanks... Fingers crossed