Convulsing Hen!

[NewHampGreen]

all,
This morning when I went outside to open up the dorris for the chickens, I noticed one of the hens doing this (see you tube link). She was perched when I closed them up last night...the poo on her neck suggests she fell last night and started the convulsions?
I have quarantined her. What could this be? She won't stop, though she did temporarily when I picked her up. She lifted her head and looked at me.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Looks like maybe stargazing which is a Vitamin B deficiency.

http://www.chickenforum.com/Treatment-Options-for-Stargazing.html

Best Wishes!

 

[Eggcessive]

She is showing signs of wry neck, a neurological symptom. It can be caused by a head injury, a vitamin E deficiency, or in certain diseases that affect the brain. I would separate her, and give her vitamns for poultry plus a little chopped egg or tuna daily for selenium. Is your feed fresh? Sometimes vitamins can leech out of food if it has been around for awhile. If she constantly has her neck twisted up, she will need to be fed several times a day. Mix a bowl of her normal feed with a lot of water. Add a little egg, and feed her while you hold her wrapped in a towel. Make sure that she also has food and water available to her. Wry neck can sometimes go away quickly, but can last for weeks or may never go away. Watch for any other symptoms, such as lameness, or respiratory issues which may be symptoms of diseases that cause wry neck.

 

[Eggcessive]

Star gazing is actually caused by vitamin E deficiency, but I recommend a good poultry vitamin containing both E, thiamine and other vitamins. Poultry Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell tonics given 3 ml daily by mouth will have the vitamins plus the selenium needed for treatment. Other vitamins do not contain the selenium which is found in many foods like egg, tuna, and seeds/nuts.

 

[NewHampGreen]

Blended lots of sunflower seed in with water . Forced her head in position to drink. She is thirsty and hungry. Ihope that helps. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[NewHampGreen]

Thank you! I will get those vitamins asap! We just bought the bag they are eating from last Friday.It was dry and stored in a cool dry place. I will monitor other chickens, though we never buy more than a 2 week suply for the hens.

 

[NewHampGreen]

Thank you, I will add some yolks and tuna to my next feeding on top of the vitamins!

 

[ChickenChaser9]

She is showing signs of wry neck, a neurological symptom. It can be caused by a head injury, a vitamin E deficiency, or in certain diseases that affect the brain. I would separate her, and give her vitamns for poultry plus a little chopped egg or tuna daily for selenium. Is your feed fresh? Sometimes vitamins can leech out of food if it has been around for awhile. If she constantly has her neck twisted up, she will need to be fed several times a day. Mix a bowl of her normal feed with a lot of water. Add a little egg, and feed her while you hold her wrapped in a towel. Make sure that she also has food and water available to her. Wry neck can sometimes go away quickly, but can last for weeks or may never go away. Watch for any other symptoms, such as lameness, or respiratory issues which may be symptoms of diseases that cause wry neck.

Please show your source for this diagnosis.

 

[NewHampGreen]

Quick update -
I have been feeding her the seed/water mix and she has calmed down a bit. It gets worse when she is startled, or after I feed her, bit when she calms down it is better which was not the case this morning.
More updates later. Thanks again everyone!

 

[Eggcessive]

Thiamine should also be used in combination with vitamin E/selenium for wry neck (torticolis, encephalomalcia, star gazing, crook neck.) I prefer a poultry multiple vitamin containing B1 thiamine and E since some types of wry neck may be caused by thiamine deficiency. It can also be seen in Mareks, leukosis, fowl cholera, and other diseases, but probably more nutritional or injury related most of time. A twisted neck is also common shortly before death in some. Here are some links about vitamin E deficiency:
http://www.poultrydisease.ir/atlases/avian-atlas/search/disease/521.html
http://www.poultrydisease.ir/atlases/avian-atlas/search/lesion/361.html
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vitamin-deficiencies-poultry-rakesh-kumar

Illustration 4-3: Vitamin E Deficiency in the Chicken: Torticollis, Encephalomalicia