Hanging head to one side

[chickcrazyNC]

4 days ago one of my 14 week old polish chicks just dropped dead. It was totally fine in the morning and when I checked on them at 4:30ish it was dead. Now, my other Polish is acting weird. When I went to lock up the coop tonight he/she was still in the run and was just standing there hanging his head to one side. I brought it in and fed it yogurt and sugar water. It ate and drank OK but after about 45 minutes inside with me it wouldn't even stand up. I'm afraid it will be dead by morning. What could this be? I'm hoping it was just a hereditary thing with these two Polish but worry there's something going around that is going to kill off my whole flock. Here are some pics.

 

[chickcrazyNC]

Oh, and I did check the crop and it appears to be normal.

 

[chickcrazyNC]

This is it a week ago

 

[Eggcessive]

Continue the sugar water, but electrolytes, pedialyte, or gatorade would do better tonight. Then first thing in the morning get some Corid or amprollium from your feed store cattle medicines, and treat for coccidiosis. Dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid or 1.5 tsp of the powder per gallon of water for 5-7 days. Follow this with several days of vitamins and probiotics. How long have you had them? Do they free range where they could have eaten a dead animal or rotting vegetation?

 

[chickcrazyNC]

Thanks for the response. I've had them for almost 3 months. They don't free range but are in a run most of the day. As far as I know the only dead animal they had access to was the last chicken that died and I removed him within 2-3 hours of death. I sometimes throw food in there as treats and pick up the scraps, I suppose something could have gotten rotten.

 

[chickcrazyNC]

It's still alive this morning and I'm wondering if it could be wry neck. It makes no attempt to move but when I lift it's head and hold it near water it will perk up and drink. It's head is hanging to one side and almost upside down now. So I think for now I'm going to follow the treatment for wry neck but I'm going to give a vitamin boost of some kind to the rest of my flock in case it is a disease.

 

[chickcrazyNC]

So you think I should treat for coccidiosis too? And if so just this one bird or the whole flock? He has diarrhea, not sure if that matters.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes it takes to time figure out what is wrong. If his neck is twisted, then yes he may have wry neck. Wry neck is a neurological symptom of brain and nerve inflammation. It can be due to an injury, a vitamin deficiency, or from diseases, and even dehydration. So I would treat him with vitamins (Vitamin B1 thiamine, Vitamin E, and selenium are the important ones.) Rooster Booster makes Poultry Cell that contains this, and Poultry Nutri-Drench also does. Poly Visol without iron 3 drops daily would also work, or you can get vitamins separately. Since you just lost a chick, he is at the age when cocci can be common, and now he is lethargic and sick with diarrhea, I would treat him (and all chickens) with Corid (amprollium, Amprol, Ampromed, ) in the water for 5-7 days. The vitamins can be given orally. Here are good links on wry neck:
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html
http://oureggbasket.blogspot.com/2013/04/wry-neck-or-crook-neck-understanding-it.html
https://tikktok.wordpress.com/tag/treat-chicken-with-wry-neck/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck

 

[chickcrazyNC]

I've started the treatment plan as suggested. It did ok yesterday but this morning it won't drink the water or eat the food even when I put it's beak in it. I'll try again in an hour or so. It definitely has wry neck, his head is hanging almost completely upside down now and now it would seem his eye is infected, I assume because he can't lift his head out of the bedding when he sleeps. What's the best way to deal with this? Neosporin and hydrogen peroxide? Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you tried to get Corid yet? He looks really lethargic and weak. Wry neck is just a neurological condition--it can be from many different causes, but dehydration and electrolyte imbalance from cocci or even a respiratory disease can cause it. The eye inflammation could be a symptom of possible respiratory disease or just from lying in the bedding like you think. I would be treating him for cocci right away. If you can get the liquid Corid, you can feed him a couple of drops of the undiluted Corid twice a day, along with using it in his water. Corid is not harmful, and not an antibiotic, but if that is what's causing his problem it may save his life. I would not use peroxide near his eye. Just clean it with warm water or saline, and put some plain Neosporin, Triple Antibiotic, Bacitracin, or Terramycin Ointment in the eye twice a day. Have you seen any other chickens with sneezes or runny noses?