chicks acts blind

[trudyg]

all my birds were fine last night when I closed them up for thenight. I opened them up this morning and didn't notice anything odd. Around 3 we got home and I notice that one (Polish) is standing in the coop and everyone else is out pecking. I go out to change the water/food and notice that this one is slowly turning in clockwise circles. So I go to lift him up and he doesn't even act like he noticed. I looked him over, eyes are clear vent is clear, no injuries. Watched for 20 minutes and he didn't eat, scratch, drink, nothing. So I set him by the water and he stumbled and stood with one foot in the water and the other out, didn't drink. I have used an eyedropper and got maybe one dropperful into him, used broiler booster since that's what I have on hand. He swallowed and, after the dropperful, struggled so I let him down. Now he's just slowly spinning, always clockwise, and doesn't seem to see me or anything else. He's in a safe area, so he's safe. The others are ignoring him. Any way to make sure he eats? What could be causing this? He's almost 9 weeks old. I have not seen him poop in this time.

 

[trudyg]

I wonder if maybe he ate something bad? All the chickens were out around the woodpile today, lots of fungi growing on the wood--did he maybe eat some? I've looked all over--no mold, no mites/lice, bedding clean and dry-- in both coops. But they range all over our 3 acres and could have got into something, I guess.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like he may be showing some neurological symptoms which can be similar to wry neck. He may have had his head pecked, but wry neck can be a symptom of many other things, such as Mareks disease, vitamin E and selenium deficiency, head knjury, and other things. In addition to feed ing him some vitamins and a little egg daily for selenium, you will need to dip his beak into the water, and help him eat. Does he have any marks on his head? Was he vaccinated for Mareks?

 

[trudyg]

he had all the vaccinations as a chick from McMurray that were offered, not sure if mareks was one of them but will look. What do you do for wry neck? I'm on the feed and water, that's all I know for sure--that he has to eat and drink.

 

[trudyg]

I've looked up wry neck and have been treating as if that's the problem. I gave him a vit E, water with vitamins and tuna/egg yolk/feed all mashed up and moistened to fairly soupy. He didn't want anythnig to do with any of it. Was not at all interested in the food or fluid. I did get some down him, but I have to go to work and hope he's okay during the day. I put him in a segregated area with food and water so he'll be safe and no one else will get his food, but the spinning has already caused him to spill the food. He only turns clockwise and seems as tho he doesn't see anything at all.

 

[Eggcessive]

You might want to pick up some Poultry Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell liquid vitamins, which both contain the vitamin E and selenium, as well as electrolytes, vitamins, and amino acids. It's pretty good for stressed chickens. Here is some reading about wry neck:
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck

 

[trudyg]

I culled this one tonight. He couldn't eat or walk, the neck twist had gotten worse during the day. After a lot of research, I think it had equine encephalitis. We're so damp here in north Alabama, mosquitoes are our state bird. So, this is spread by mosquitoes and cannibalism of sick or dead birds. There is no treatment, though they can survive and be blind (and I think this one was already blind). I used the Florida State poultry site, very thorough and quick to use.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. You can also send in the refrigerated body to the state vet for a necropsy to confirm your diagnosis.