Free bearded Silkie pullets - pets only - Catdance Silkies

[kelar]

I have five beautiful Silkie pullets and hens who have had wry neck and are looking for a nice adult home where they will have a limited amount of stress. I am one of the few Silkie breeders who is firmly convinced that most cases of wry neck are genetic. Because of that, I am not breeding anything that has or has had the condition and am trying to weed out birds producing it as well. The cockerels are getting culled, but I just don't have the heart to cull the girls that make a reasonable recovery. These girls consist of 4 whites and one black - they have all recovered to the point that they can eat and drink on their own, they lay, brood and act like any other silkie, except they tuck when they get too stressed out and may always have an arch in their necks. I would really like to see them go to someone with experience with poultry who can give them a protected and stress free environment. They would make great pets or could be someone's small urban flock, but will probably not do well in a mixed flock where they could get picked on. Obviously, this is a pick-up situation only. Please pm or email me if you would like to give these girls a home or know someone suitable who might be interested.

 

[kelar]

I am in western Washington state, northeast of the Portland/Vancouver area

 

[reesepoultry]

I completely agree with you on this theory I also believe it is a genetic issue and also will not breed one that has had it. Good Luck finding homes for them so you don't have to cull them. I don't like having to cull either.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

I hope you find a good home for them. I just had to cull one of my silkies with wry neck as she just wasnt recovering. It was heartbreaking to watch. I agree, I think its genetic and gave her siblings to a good home even though they showed no signs.

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

Thank goodness there are responsible breeders like you Karen

 

[kelar]

Thanks everyone - this is an absolutely heartbreaking condition and it seems to me that it is showing up way too frequently in the breed. I wish I had more than anecdotal/personal experience to support my belief in a genetic component, but studies are pretty much non-existent. Above all, I want a healthy bird that can thrive under normal flock conditions. I'm certainly hoping that careful breeding will help minimize the problem, but time will tell....

 

[ultasol]

I don't breed from it either, but I believe it is a combination of structure and trauma. I have had several perfectly normal birds, including one of my best black pullets, go from normal to wry neck overnight during breeding season- I presume from a bonk from the cock. Another reason I believe many cases are related to trauma is that drugs that work well at reducing inflammation have led to drastic rapid improvements in condition when I have used them. If you get a chance dissect the heads of the culled cockerels. It is very interesting. Notice how much of the brain protrudes. If you do, I would be interested in pictures.

To date I have only had one cockerel have it.

I think that the large vaults are a major cause of the current prevalence of wry neck. Has anyone kept records of how many of the wry neck birds are vaulted? I have not, but I will try to keep it in mind from now on.

I am going to be in the Portland area on the 16th Karen, and if we can meet up I could take two whites to my little older lady friend who keeps a couple silkies in her garden. She currently has a black and a blue from me but would love a white.

 

[rilly10]

Quote:
X2!

Thankfully I have only had this issue once. It was a gorgeous black showgirl pullet (of course one of the best if not the best I ever produced). She did have an abnormally large vault. I do not breed for or against the vaults, but hers was very large. I did not try to treat other than polyvisol, and ended up culling her, as I did not want to use her for breeding, and she was too severely affected to be a pet

I hope they all find great homes!

 

[BeckyBird]

Karen, it is very nice of you to offer these silkies, and you are honest to inform us about their struggles with wry neck.

I also share ultasol's opinion that it might be a combination of structure and trauma, but I only have limited experience. I've had a few polish chicks develop wry neck, and back then I didn't know how to possibly cure it.
Last year, I hatched a silkie with a vaulted skull--my first batch of silkies to ever have vaults. Well, I came home one day to find a perfectly normal chick with a crooked neck. She was fine earlier, and it did not develop slowly as it had in my experience with the polish. I assumed another chick might have pecked her head, but I was never really sure as to what happened.
Over the few days, the neck became worse. The chick would hold her head between her legs, and could not change positions. She would back up and roll over. I had to hand feed her throughout the day, and I gave her neck massages every time I fed her. Also, she received Polyvisol drops. After a week, she regained control over her neck, and finally she was back to normal! I still have her, and she is a lot nicer than some of the other hens, maybe because I handled her a lot. Who knows?

Could it be that in some cases, trauma certainly causes wry neck, and other cases, genetics? I think there could be 2 causes to the same problem.