Chicken's Head Flopping Over

[Geckolady]

Last night I saw my two 5 month old silver grey Dorking pullets inside the same nest box, but didn't think too much of it. This morning I checked them early, and they both seemed subdued. Later I checked them again, and they seemed better. I thought maybe they were just sleepy, since my first check was really early.

I just checked the chickens again. One of the pullets is acting normally, but the other pullet is still in the nest box and seems weak. Her head flops downward and she can't hold it up. She's acting like maybe her neck is broken. There are no avian vets anywhere around. Is there something I can do to help her?

 

[All4Eggz]

Pictures please?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would get them out and give some Poultry NutriDrench or Poultry Cell to give a boost. Electrolytes and vitamins are also good in place of those, and get them drinking water. Could they be overheated and dehydrated? Could they have gotten in to something in the yard such as dead animal or plant remains, moldy feed, or poisonous plants?

A drooping neck may be weakness or less, likely, botulism, and they can also have wry neck which is a twisted neck.

 

[Geckolady]

Here she is laying in the nest box, and when I picked her up.

 

[Geckolady]

I don';t know of anything they could have gotten into.

 

[Geckolady]

I mixed up an extra strong dose of electrolytes and got some into her. Now she is able to stand, but her head still flops forward and onto the ground. I noticed the other pullet walking with her head bent forward so I gave her some too, but she can hold her head up if she needs to.

 

[Eggcessive]

You could try to treat them with vitamin E 400 IU and a 1/4 tablet of vitamin B complex or other source of thiamine. That helps sometimes if the limberneck problem is neurological. In the meantime look around for any mold in feed or scratch grains, or on the ground.

 

[Geckolady]

You could try to treat them with vitamin E 400 IU and a 1/4 tablet of vitamin B complex or other source of thiamine. That helps sometimes if the limberneck problem is neurological. In the meantime look around for any mold in feed or scratch grains, or on the ground.

OK, after 1 dose of the electrolytes, Buttercup (less affected) is back to normal. Daffodil (in the pictures) has had 3 doses of the electrolytes, and after the second one, was able to stand, but her head is still flopping all over. I got the vitamins E and B into her, and blocked off the nest box with wood so none of the other chickens can bother her tonight. It's sundown. I will check her first thing in the morning. I'm usually up before sunrise.

Edited to add: I didn't find any mold. the only thing I've done differently is start a bag of mealworms mixed with sunflower seeds from Walmart, and that smelled OK. So did the feed.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hopefully, they are recovering. Get them hydrated and they may be much better.

 

[Geckolady]

Hopefully, they are recovering. Get them hydrated and they may be much better.

This morning she is moving around and has regained some control over her head. I gave her a 4th drink of electrolytes and some baby chick food in case she gets hungry.

No idea how she would get dehydrated. I keep two water containers in the coop, and check the water twice a day.