Chicks head weird

[SilkiesRcool]

I hatched out silkie chicks and I checked on them today and one is acting weird. If he is scared he looks up but he won’t look the other direction. His head is like stuck that directions.

 

[Welshies]

I have a grown hen that does this. Watching

 

[Hybridchucks]

Odd.....following...

 

[nightowl223]

Do you mean that he (or the always hopeful she) *cannot* move his head the other direction? If you hold him, can you move his head the other way without it causing him distress?

To start with, I would try to find either the water soluble vitamins/electrolytes (Durvet makes the kind I use, but other brands are out there) and/or liquid baby vitamins without iron, and put the powder in the water, or give the chick a couple of drops of the vitamin liquid per day. Sometimes there's a thing called stargazing, and the most common theory is that it's caused by vitamin/mineral deficiency. I have seen chicks improve from it after getting the vitamin/mineral treatment. Whether it was luck or tied to the treatment... well, that's anyone's question.

 

[nightowl223]

Also... if it IS stargazing, it is a very mild case of it, which is a very good thing.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would agree to use vitamins in case it is wry neck (star gazing, encephalomalcia, torticolis.) Thiamine (vitamin B 1, vitamin E, and selenium are used to treat it. If the chick is having trouble getting water and food, mix feed with a good amount of water and a little egg, and try feeding it every 2-3 hours. Good luck.

 

[Welshies]

Also... if it IS stargazing, it is a very mild case of it, which is a very good thing.

What's stargazing?

 

[micstrachan]

Wry neck. The vitamins will likeky help if that is the issue.

 

[nightowl223]

What's stargazing?

It's a disability they can occasionally develop, a symptom of a deficiency or disease. It's also called wry neck or crook(ed) neck. Medical term Torticollis.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/wry-neck

Edited to add:
Surprisingly, birds of all types can get it, or even lizards and snakes. LOL, likely even dinosaurs could get it, too, since they're all related!