Chicken holding head backwards to left, walking in circles, pecking at food to left.

[Vivolynn]

Hi everyone. Looking for new ideas. Woke up last Wednesday to let the girls out and one of them was sort of out of place. She was stumbling and pecking at the other hens. As I watched her, it seemed like her head twisted around to 180 degrees from where it is supposed to be right in front of my eyes. She seemed just as confused as I was as she began to try and compensate by walking in a tight circle.

Like she was chasing her tail,but more like she was trying to get her body caught up to her head. Yes.Excorcist chicken. She couldn't eat at all.

Research settled me in possible vitamin deficiencies. We've been giving her E, selenium (eggs) and nutritional yeast for thiamine. She started pecking at a bowl of food. I would start it forward, but always missing to the left (further twisting her head until backwards again). She also seems to only see the food between bites if I turn the bowl.

On the second day when there was no difference I added antibiotics and later that day she actually started to be able to keep her head forward. She was pecking at the food and water and it seemed that we were winning. We put her outside for a few hours in a separate space but brought her in at night for meds, vitamins, and an indoor sleep.

The next day her head was backwards again. She can eat from the bowl, but just walks herself in circles when she tries to eat.

Millie has been feeding her and watering her all weekend. We continued both vitamins and the anitbiotics. I read that if it is a head injury ibuprofen can help bring inflammation down but do I just keep giving her anything that could maybe work? I feel like I'm getting desperate here.

She's happy. She chats at us. She purrs and greets us when we walk in the room.

Tonight I had her out in the living room to observe. She didn't manage to eat from the bowl I had out but she'd already eaten a ton.

She started to fall asleep and her head naturally moved back to forward facing so I know it isn't stuck backwards. She was startled awake so I asked Millie to go downstairs and turn the lights low so I could see her fall asleep again and the craziest thing happened:

This chicken with her head on backwards literally did slow parohettes like a ballerina all the way into her crate to go to bed!!!!

So now I haven't got a clue what to do. Do I give her ibuprofen AND vitamins AND antibiotics? Do I give up? Do I start making reals on Instagram of my ballerina chicken?

Video Link:.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8Z43huKfSwWkhk9n6

Updated video Tuesday September 6

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2Z67eJeEaBLu9KuB6




I'd love to know what you think.

 

[Perris]

I'll flag this up to some of the health experts on BYC and I'm sure one or more will have some sound advice for you when they come along.

@azygous @coach723 @dawg53 @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock do you recognize these symptoms? can you help please?

 

[azygous]

How much vitamin E are you giving her? Don't skimp. This is most likely wry neck and 400iu is necessary to be effective. Give the whole capsule directly into her beak twice a day to get adequate amounts into her system, then one cap per day for about three days after symptoms improve. The higher the potency the better.

 

[007Sean]

Classic wry neck. Follow @azygous advice.

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is your chicken? Wry neck is a symptom. It can occur with head or neck injury, vitamin E or thiamine (B1) deficiency, and is seen in a few diseases that affect the brain. Those include Mareks disease, Newcastles, and some other viruses. I would give the vitamin E daily.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If Millie finds it difficult to feed her, she can try offering wet feed to see if that helps.
Looks like she's getting a lot of cuddles and attention.
Hopefully she'll improve with vitamin therapy. Keep us posted.

 

[drmolarmagic]

Hi Just reading the replies above and I have a question: What daily does of Vit E will help with the symptoms of Mareks ? The 400iu you mentioned? And I guess I just puncture a gel cap and squirt it into her mouth?
Thanks

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi Just reading the replies above and I have a question: What daily does of Vit E will help with the symptoms of Mareks ? The 400iu you mentioned? And I guess I just puncture a gel cap and squirt it into her mouth?
Thanks

400IU is usually the "standard dose", if the bird is not a tiny chick, then just pop the gel cap into the beak and let him/her swallow.
Egg, tuna or sunflower are good to give to help with the uptake of E. Also give B-Complex which can also help with supportive care.

There's no guarantee that vitamin therapy will make a difference in birds with Marek's, but it's worth a try.

 

[azygous]

Hi Just reading the replies above and I have a question: What daily does of Vit E will help with the symptoms of Mareks ? The 400iu you mentioned? And I guess I just puncture a gel cap and squirt it into her mouth?
Thanks

Vitamin E should be given to an adult chicken whole, not opened or diluted in food. It's the easiest thing in the world to give a pill of any sort to a chicken. Anything else is simply wasted time and energy. Pop it into the beak. That's it.

But vitamin E would have little effect on Marek's. Marek's produces tumors in most cases, and nerve inflammation, specifically the sciatic nerve. Vitamin E is more useful for nervous system disorders. But you certainly may try it.

If you wish to try to alleviate symptoms of Marek's try acyclovir which is a prescription med for herpes viruses, Marek's being a herpes virus. It will not cure Marek's, just help make the symptoms a little easier to deal with for a while.

 

[Vivolynn]

Thanks everyone. I read somewhere that you can over dose a chicken on vitamin E and that we can only give it for a couple weeks at the longest. How long can we continue to give it? She's had 400mg per day (200 in am and 200 in pm)

I was opening the capsule but will start popping it in.