Chicken supplement - wry neck

[tothemoon]

I have a bantam polish chicken with wry neck, not sure if it is a brain injury or vit deficiency. What I am wondering is if I can get some info on how much vit E and selenium I should be giving her (adult bantam hen) and how to feed it to her. Also, what else should I be feeding her to keep her strength up because she can't feed herself right now at all, not even water. All I can find locally is a vit E softgel that I have been squeezing the oil out of, mixing it with a crushed selenium vit and warm water. The oil seems to just gel up around the edges of the glass but there is still some in the water as well, I just don't know if she is getting enough. If I could get recommendations on something I could buy that would give a more definitive dosage so I know exactly how much she should be, and is getting, that would be great. Also, I am looking for a supplement to add to their feed or water that has decent amounts of vit E and selenium. I am just not sure how much the chickens need as a supplement so I do not know what amounts I should be looking for. As it is, most of the supplements I have looked at do not have selenium in them. TIA!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a bantam polish chicken with wry neck, not sure if it is a brain injury or vit deficiency. What I am wondering is if I can get some info on how much vit E and selenium I should be giving her (adult bantam hen) and how to feed it to her. Also, what else should I be feeding her to keep her strength up because she can't feed herself right now at all, not even water.

If I could get recommendations on something I could buy that would give a more definitive dosage so I know exactly how much she should be, and is getting, that would be great. Also, I am looking for a supplement to add to their feed or water that has decent amounts of vit E and selenium.

I am just not sure how much the chickens need as a supplement so I do not know what amounts I should be looking for. As it is, most of the supplements I have looked at do not have selenium in them. TIA!

Wry Neck is a symptom - some common causes are vitamin deficiency, disease like Mareks, trauma to the head/neck and sometimes it's hereditary.

Vitamin therapy can be helpful for deficiency and as supportive care. Give 400IU Vitamin E daily and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily. Give egg or tuna for Selenium. The reason why you are not seeing much selenium in poultry vitamins is because it can be toxic if given too much. A balanced poultry feed should have Selenium already in it, but the extra in egg or a little tuna will not hurt.

You can prick the vitamin E capsule and squirt the oil into her beak or add it to a small amount of wet soupy feed and syringe it into her. Drip over the egg, etc.

If she's having trouble eating on her own, you can try holding her as shown in the video below or you can tube feed her. Kaytee Baby bird formula is often used for that or you can make a wet soupy mix from chick starter that can be tube or syringe fed. (second video)

As for vitamins to give to your flock. I like something like Poultry Cell, but normally I reserve that for individual birds that need a boost when molting, etc. If you feed wet mash, you can add vitamins to the mash every once in while. Feed should be fresh to help ensure ingredients are at their peak, check your mill date on the bag.
Poultry Cell can be added to the water as well, but most of my birds don't like it in water. Another option would be something like Durvet Vitamins and Electrolytes, I do use those occasionally as well during hot weather, my flock seems to like that. It's best to also provide fresh plain drinking water too, some birds may not drink enough with additives in the water.

 

[tothemoon]

Thank you, great advice! I have been hand feeding her boiled or scrambled eggs 2 or 3 times a day, she eats maybe a teaspoon before she gets to tired of trying to hold her head up enough to swallow. Is that enough egg for selenium intake? I will just drip the oil on her beak from now on, see how that works. I have also been giving her the electrolytes, different brand but I checked and it has the same ingredients. How do you give the b vit's?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you, great advice! I have been hand feeding her boiled or scrambled eggs 2 or 3 times a day, she eats maybe a teaspoon before she gets to tired of trying to hold her head up enough to swallow. Is that enough egg for selenium intake? I will just drip the oil on her beak from now on, see how that works. I have also been giving her the electrolytes, different brand but I checked and it has the same ingredients. How do you give the b vit's?

That should be enough egg.
For the vitamin B, 1/4 tablet is fairly small so I would just pop it in the beak and let her swallow it. If that's not working, then crush it up and sprinkle it on the egg.

 

[kissezmychicken]

My experience is wry neck will either clear up or not.. Silkies and Polish (and/or Polish crosses) are the most common victims.. My opinion is that it can't simply be a vitamin E deficiency otherwise the entire flock should be affected.. Anyway, try the suppliments if you want, but time and supportive care may be your only option.. I've had some come out of it, some didn't.. Silkie came out fine.. Polish I had vet put down.. It's luck I think.. My best to you. trish