Crooked Neck??? Please Help!

[lilchik]

First I must say I am about in tears. I have had terrible luck with my 3 Polish and 3 Houdan chicks, losing them 1 by 1. All 3 Houdans and 2 Polish appeared healthy and were found dead 1 at a time over 7 weeks. I have 1 remaining Polish chick that was doing great until today.

I cleaned the brooders, gave fresh feed and water to the chicks around 7:30am this morning. The Polish chick, Jethro, is 8 weeks old now. He was in a brooder by himself until 2 days ago, I needed it for newly hatched ducklings, so I moved him into a brodder with Silkie and Frizzle chicks 1-7 days old. I went away for the day, returning home at 7pm. I went to check on my chicks and noticed Jethro with his neck S curved. He has no other symtoms. I searched BYC forums and the only thing this sounds like is crooked neck, but everything I found said the neck is usually curved down, head under chest and between legs.

I gave him MVI liquid drops, added MVI to the water, gave scrambled eggs for more protein, gave Penicillin just in case it is ear related, and am heading to the store first thing in the am to get vitamin E/selenium and vitamin B. I have prednisone, but am hesitant to give it related to what I have read. Will give him a day or two, if no improvement I will start it then.

I don't think it was a head injury as the other chicks that are in the same brooder are so small. I guess while he was lying down one could have pecked him on the head, but I really don't think thats it.

I am feeding chick starter feed, nonmedicated.

I quess I am here for moral support more than anything as I think I got the information I need for his care. I am so disappointed. I have never had this kind of difficulty or loss with my other chicks.

If anyone thinks it could be something else or has any other suggestions, please leave me know.

Thanks.

 

[cota05]

sounds like you are on track with the vitamin e and selenium, i had a lavender silkie from bobbi porto he developed the same thing, the selenium and vitamin e, worked like a charm for me.
i have a silver sebright now with the same symptom.

 

[ve]

Sound like Marek's desease I am dealing right now

 

[lilchik]

From what I have read about Marek's Disease it involves paralysis, weakness, lethergy, etc. My chick has none of those symptoms. Just an S-shaped neck.

 

[lilchik]

Got to the store this am and have given Jethro Vitamin B complex, Vitamin E, and Selenium. I have also read about using massage to the neck and have started that last night. He actually seems to enjoy it!

Also gave him scrambled eggs for breakfast.

He is the sweetest little chick, I pray he recovers. I have decided if he lives through this he is getting a special coop just for him and a few girlfriends. I was planning on putting him in with my Silkies and Frizzles.

 

[lilchik]

I've been using the Vitamins and selenium, along with massage, for 5 days now and am not seeing any improvement. He is not any worse, but no better either.

I think I will try the prednisone starting today.

How long does it normally take to get better after meds started?

 

[McCash40]

I had a chick at 3 weeks develop wry neck and now she is nearly 8 weeks and doing much better. I popped vit. E caps and squirted them directly into her mouth for a week. She runs with a grape with the best of them now.