Chicks throwing heads back when drinking

[Poultrybonkers]

Anyone know why chicks would be throwing their heads back when drinking I noticed three of my chicks are doing it. Is it genetic because one of my hens use to do it as a chick as well wondering maybe they were her eggs.

 

[SunriseChickers]

I think it's pretty common, I saw it in most of my chicks. I'd think it's so that gravity can help them to swallow, perhaps?

 

[thecatumbrella]

The middle chick looks pretty typical, but the one on the left is REALLY throwing it back. Do they have any other issues holding their head, or only when drinking?

If they were mine, I'd be a little concerned about wry neck. A drop of Poultry Drench can be given daily. For a full treatment, I crush a Vitamin B-Complex with a squirt of Vitamin E from a soft gel, add a few drops of water, and then suck that into a 1mL syringe. Apply small dabs along the crack of their beak. The mixture will work it's way in to be swallowed. They don't need to take the whole thing; just a bit here and there is usually enough for tiny chicks.

The treatment might be overkill, but I figure it's better to get ahead of anything before it becomes a bigger issue.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

The middle chick looks pretty typical, but the one on the left is REALLY throwing it back. Do they have any other issues holding their head, or only when drinking?

If they were mine, I'd be a little concerned about wry neck. A drop of Poultry Drench can be given daily. For a full treatment, I crush a Vitamin B-Complex with a squirt of Vitamin E from a soft gel, add a few drops of water, and then suck that into a 1mL syringe. Apply small dabs along the crack of their beak. The mixture will work it's way in to be swallowed. They don't need to take the whole thing; just a bit here and there is usually enough for tiny chicks.

The treatment might be overkill, but I figure it's better to get ahead of anything before it becomes a bigger issue.

It’s only when they drink. They are perfectly fine otherwise.here’s a video

 

[thecatumbrella]

It’s only when they drink. They are perfectly fine otherwise.here’s a video

I would 100% treat that chick for wry neck. It's also called stargazing, and your poor little baby is a textbook example. Let me know if you need any more details on the vitamin regimen.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I would 100% treat that chick for wry neck. It's also called stargazing, and your poor little baby is a textbook example. Let me know if you need any more details on the vitamin regimen.

I would need to buy some because I don’t have anything on hand

 

[thecatumbrella]

I would need to buy some because I don’t have anything on hand

I get the 400 IU Vitamin E soft gels (which are pretty easy to find). Whatever B-Complex you pick, just make sure it has Thiamine (B1). Once in a while, I'll see it omitted.