Chick with Wry Neck

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Hatching
Jul 29, 2021
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One of our little chickies has wry neck, and we’re trying our absolute most to keep her. We’re giving her vitamin E with selenium on her beak daily as well as keeping her well fed and giving her some molasses diluted with water. She’s had some good days but unfortunately today is a bad day. We’re giving her as much tlc as possible and massaging her little neck, but it’s starting to feel a little hopeless. Recently her right eye has been closed while her left eye has been open. Any suggestions or advice?
 

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Try eggs which have selenium. Unfortunately, chicks with wry neck don't tend to have too good chances. Sounds like you are doing good. Did she have this since birth??
 
Try eggs which have selenium. Unfortunately, chicks with wry neck don't tend to have too good chances. Sounds like you are doing good. Did she have this since birth??
She has not had this sense birth. I’d estimate it was a week in when we noticed. Today is the start of week three of treatment if that helps.
 
Hey there. What are you "treating" with now? How old is your bird, and what's her breed?
Is she separated from others now? Where are you located (i.e. USA, etc)?
She is a four week golden sebright she’s still on the same medications above which is molasses water, electrolyte water, and normal water fed to her in a syringe, vitamin e with selenium on her beak twice a day. Things are going pretty bad and we’re thinking that the best option might unfortunately be to cull her. Northeast USA
 
She is a four week golden sebright she’s still on the same medications above which is molasses water, electrolyte water, and normal water fed to her in a syringe, vitamin e with selenium on her beak twice a day. Things are going pretty bad and we’re thinking that the best option might unfortunately be to cull her. Northeast USA

Maybe I should have been more specific:

What is her dosage of Vit-E? How are you administering Selenium? Molasses water is not going to be much help for Wry Neck, but if you'll stick with me for a few more days, I think I might be able to get your chick feeling and looking a little better.

If you'd like to give it a try, I'll ask you to reply to me a little more quickly. What do you think?

S
 
Maybe I should have been more specific:

What is her dosage of Vit-E? How are you administering Selenium? Molasses water is not going to be much help for Wry Neck, but if you'll stick with me for a few more days, I think I might be able to get your chick feeling and looking a little better.

If you'd like to give it a try, I'll ask you to reply to me a little more quickly. What do you think?

S
Right now, as soon as she’s placed down on the ground she immediately starts freaking out, and is unable to keep her head straight. For the vitamin-e and selenium, it’s a pill that we’ve punctured and we’re wiping that on to her beak.
 
Right now, as soon as she’s placed down on the ground she immediately starts freaking out, and is unable to keep her head straight. For the vitamin-e and selenium, it’s a pill that we’ve punctured and we’re wiping that on to her beak.

I understand she's "freaking out". That's because this is a neurological symptom, and she's kinda turned around in her head, like being drunk and held upside down - it's disorienting. It's my belief that she's not getting enough Vit-E to help her. What is the amount (dosage) in IU (international units) of Vit-E that the bird is getting now? What is the dosage of Selenium measured in mcg (micrograms) that she's getting now? It's important for me to know how much of each of those is in the Geltabs you're administering now.

When we've had birds with a severe case, they sometimes need to be hand fed the first couple of days, and below is one of our treatment prescriptions that has worked well with Wry Neck birds. This is detailed, but I'm trying my best to help you and bring your bird around. Help me help you :)


<<<TREATMENT>>>>
The Plan:
Let's feed your chick 400IU of Vit-E, and up to 25mcg of Selenium twice per day. We're going to make a moist "mash" of the following ingredients and only enough for the bird to eat in one (1) feeding. You'll need to do this twice per day for the first few days. We do it at 8am and about 6pm each day.

Ingredients:
Vitamin B-Complex tablets
Selenium 200mcg tablets
Starter Feed (crumbles)
Yogurt (add fried Egg Yolk to make it even more appealing)
Vitamin-E 400IU geltab

NOTE: Our Selenium is in 200mcg tablets and separate from our Vit-E geltabs. Work with what you have, but it's good to know the amount of Selenium in the Vit-E gelcaps that you're already treating with as I asked above.

Making The "MASH":
1/4 tablet of Vitamin B-Complex crushed/pulverized in the bowl.
Add 1/8 tablet of Selenium (25 mcg) crushed/pulverized in the same bowl.
Add 1/4 to 1/2 TBSP of Starter Feed to the bowl, and mix this with the B-Complex and Selenium.
Add about 1/8 to 1/4 TBSP of Yogurt (ours like mixed berry flavor, but any flavor will do).
Mix the B-Complex, Selenium, Starter Feed, and Yogurt into a moist paste.
Puncture the Vit-E geltab, and squeeze the contents over the moist mash and mix it in thoroughly.

You want this mix to be moist, but not runny, and moist, but not so dry that it falls apart. In other words, you want it about the consistency of dough balls for making cookies. If too dry, add a bit more Yogurt; if too moist, add a little more Starter Feed.

Feeding Her:
Hopefully, she'll eat this on her own; ours did after a few days.
If you must hand feed her, hold her under your arm with her breast just inside your forearm. Her neck and back of her head should be against your chest. With the hand on that same arm, you will gently put some pressure on both sides of her beak with your thumb and index fingers while gently pulling downward. This should open her mouth, but only for a second if you don't hold that lower beak. Using the other hand, drop about a pea-sized ball of the mash into her mouth. Once in her mouth, she'll "chomp chomp" it and swallow. Repeat this until you've fed her all the mash you made, and she'll get a full dosage of Vit-E. This takes a few times trying to kinda "get it right", but after a few feedings, it will be easy-peasy... n assistant may be helpful in holding her the first few times too.

Watering Her:
At this point, we will follow with some water from a syringe, about 1ml (1cc) will be enough to keep her hydrated. To administer fluids (water) with a small, narrow syringe, follow this guide, giving just a few drops at a time:
https://bitchinchickens.com/2020/02/06/how-to-safely-give-oral-medications/
 
One of our little chickies has wry neck, and we’re trying our absolute most to keep her. We’re giving her vitamin E with selenium on her beak daily as well as keeping her well fed and giving her some molasses diluted with water. She’s had some good days but unfortunately today is a bad day. We’re giving her as much tlc as possible and massaging her little neck, but it’s starting to feel a little hopeless. Recently her right eye has been closed while her left eye has been open. Any suggestions or advice?
Can you get a video of her actions? Upload video to youtube and provide a link.
If no video, please post some photos of her poop and some more of her in natural lighting so we can see her better.

Was she vaccinated for Marek's?
 

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