Floppy neck, can't move Urgent help needed please

[kirky]

Seriously hoping someone can help.
I have a 15 month old hen who went out fine this morning. Have just gone to fetch hens back into their run this evening and she was lying prone on the ground - head on the floor and wing out to the side. picked her up and she is droopy, can't seem to hold her head up or move.
i'm relatively new to chickens and i'm at a total loss - i currently have her wrapped in blankets in a box in the house. Can someone please suggest something I can do? It's a sunday and my usual vet is closed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you joined us, just wish it were better circumstances!

Two things immediately come to mind. One is "wry neck". Do a google on that to see of it fits your situation. I don't have the details to really discuss it properly. I'd tell you something wrong.

The second is a neck injury. She may have hit something or got it caught somewhere. I had one that I think hurt her neck by hitting the feeder when coming down from the roost. They are not always real graceful flyers, though they usually do OK.

For mine that was injured, I used a medicine dropper and gave her water to keep her hydrated and hummingbird syrup to try to get her energy level up to where she felt like eating. Sugar water or something like that will work too and don't overlook those electrolyte mixes, but the main concern is to keep her hydrated. Mine was back to eating and drinking on her own the next day, but mines neck was not that floppy.

I don't think it is Marek's. With Marek's, the neck would probably be stiff, not floppy, and she is a bit old for Marek's to be real high on the list anyway.

Good luck with her. Maybe someone else will have better advice, but I think her best chance is keep her hydrated and quiet. Tomorrow is Monday so maybe you can get some help then.

 

[kirky]

Hi and thank you for getting back to me.

I'm googling wry neck now as I speak.

She can't move - when i found her she was quite cold. she lies in whatever position i put her. I'm giving her water periodically with a dropper and she can move her neck a little but she can't move her wings or legs.

 

[speckledhen]

Doesn't sound like wry neck to me, though I could be wrong. That is called Stargazer syndrome, if I remember right, when the neck twists around and the bird is looking at the sky, common in Silkies and is a vitamin deficiency. Your bird sounds like she was injured. You can sometimes fix wry neck, but an injury that breaks the neck isn't fixable, if that is what happened.

Ridge is right, they get hurt in all kinds of ways. Had one kill herself in an after-roost time accident somehow.

 

[kirky]

Speckledhen - after googling Wry Neck, I would definitely agree that it doesn't sound like that is what it is and we were wondering whether she could somehow be injured. I have checked her over for any obvious signs of injury and can't find anything obvious.

When our hens come out of their coop on a morning we put them in an ark-type run (as we have two new cats who we aren't sure of around hens yet) and when we found her there was an egg next to her on the grass in a place where they never lay (if they lay in the run at all it is up on the shelf at the opposite end).

So as she was absolutely fine this morning which would make a disease/illness unlikely, but there is nothing she could have fell from within the run, I'm totally at a loss how she could have injured herself and where she could be injured ??

Tbh, other than the basic care of the girls, I know very little about poultry in terms of illnesses, possible vulnerable areas to injury and so on.
I will certainly be taking her to the vet in the morning, but I'm really worried that there is something I could or should be doing for her right now

 

[speckledhen]

All you can do is keep her hydrated and hope she makes it till you get her to the vet. Get some needleless syringes at the feed store-they come in handy for putting water in the mouth as well as other things.

They get hurt in ways you cannot even imagine, trust me. After a few years with chickens, you'll understand what I mean. The only other thing I can think of that would affect the neck that way is botulism. There is a thread by kathyinmo with pics of her hen with that and she stood with her neck hanging to the ground. Yours sounds a tad different, but could be. Just read it and see what you think.

Here it is: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/219553/help-what-is-wrong-droopy-wing-beak-down-pictures

 

[kirky]

I'll certainly do that - I've nicked the needleless syringe from the kids cold medicines.

So fingers crossed, she'll be ok until the morning.

Many thanks x

 

[speckledhen]

Sure hope she makes it. Please let us know. I lost two last night, my last original hatchery hen who was over 6 1/2, and a 3 yr old barred EE who died from internal laying/ egg yolk peritonitis. I hate losing them, but that's part of owning them for years. Rather have had them and lost them than never to have had the joy of their company and service.

 

[kirky]

Thats very sad . I have had dogs, horses and sheep for years and although we've had a few near death experiences with one of our most accident-prone sheep, I can usually deal with whatever they decide to throw at me. But being totally new to chickens, I have to admit, being somewhat of a softie where animals are concerned, this is really upsetting me as I don't feel like I know how to help her.

I got my hens purely for eggs, but was actually quite surprised at just how fond I became of them. They are such peaceful, friendly little creatures - it's awful to see her like this.

I will let you know what happens tomorrow and what the vet says. I just hope it's something they can fix!

 

[kirky]

Update: Got up the next morning and my little hen had just about totally recovered!!!! The only way I tell can she had ever been poorly is she is carrying her left wing very slightly lower than the right. She spent the day in a run on her own near to her friends - today she is quite happily back with her pals!

Many thanks!