HELP!!! CHICK EMERGENCY

[silkiechicken]

Good luck with the chick. I don't have any advice except a heat pad will work. As for feeds... I've had silkies and never had a problem with them being on commerical feed. Even when they have been cooped up for some pure bred eggs... and even have gotten 100% hatches so far from my pair. What is the lacking thing? It seems interesting. Mine are not show quality birds though so maybe genetics makes a big difference.

 

[ozark hen]

dlhunicorn, isn't that her name? she knows what to do and will post a link right here for everyone.

 

[BirdBrain]

Here is the link to her site. I hope this helps...

http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=casestudiesemergencies&action=display&num=1160927052

 

[Flufnstuffs~FluffySilkies]

I talked to Sue on the phone and got her started in the correct direction.
I totally agree with the link that was posted. It is a great post.
And the only thing I can add is that besides a head injury from a bump or an otherwise harmless peck that was just a bit to rough in the wrong spot.
I have seen this condition come on suddenly from a bird being totally shocked/frightened and also from what some of us think may be a lack of something in the diet.
Possible a lack of protein among other things, so I always suggest that Silkie owners give little to no cracked corn to Silkies as it has very little nutritional value and corn is already present in the feeds we buy.
Speaking of feed in a lot of them the major protein source is Soy and so I also recomed that for snacks people introduce good protein snacks such as boiled/scrambled eggs, dried Kitten food "FISH/BEEF", moist dog food that comes in the clear plastic bags, Meal Worms, None of this will be expensive to give as protein rich snacks not as a replacement to poultry feed. In Small amounts PLEASE your chickens are NOT Dogs & Cats you do not want to over load them on ingrediants that were formulated for another species.
And I have noticed that by adding an assortment of healthy snacks I see less and less of Crookneck in my flock.
I like to make a warm wet crumble for my birds.
I put 2/3 cup of crumbles in a bowl and to that I add 1/3 cup of HOT water with a few drops of liquid Vitamins and a cap ful of Molasses and the oil from one Vit E pill.
Stir it and pour hot liquid into crumbles, MIX FAST you want it evenly moist/crumbly not totally mushy.
Sit with the baby and encourage him to peck at the food by moving it with your fingers or picking up bits and letting it fall to get their attention. they will try to eat it,
you may have to hold/support their necks a bit or even hold the bowl up for them. Persistence with helping them eat and drink will make all the difference.
Also some people like to try and massage the necks.

 

[ozark hen]

Quote:
thank you so much! nice to bookmark her site. If she were on line she would have immediately posted for everyone's use.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I live in Holland...went to bed last nite (this thread was not here)...see what a pain the time difference is (and of course this happens on the one nite I go to bed on time LOL) OH! I just saw this is not in emergencies...

In addition to Alans thread on crookneck from a physical blow to the head/brain (so brain inflammation from that is causing the neurological symptoms) there are other causes and it is good to be aware of these:
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=emergencies&action=display&num=1160928615

Another very common cause of this is vitE and or selenium deficiency (if the parents are deficient for instance this will occur in the chick) > this is called encephalomalacia. You can treat it with therapeutic dosage of vit E/selenium (the two are co-dependent on each and the bird must have both in order to utilize the therapeutic amount)...

The amount is the same as in Alans article (he is currently updating his article but have not received the new one yet):
vit E (200-400 IU) /selenium 50 MICROgrams (not MILLIgrams!)
The best to buy is a human geltab combination of the two (ONLY these two and nothing else) as the human combo geltabs contain the correct type of selenium which is a yeast form and NOT the (sodium) selenite/selenate form... You just prick open the tab and give it in the beak (for a chick you may need to do this in two parts ) You can buy this combo at walmart and agway or look at your drugstore.

vit E/selenium has been found in research studies to be helpful in toxicity and mycotoxin problems also (another source of neurological symptoms) and I would also add the B vitamins at the dosage in Alans article (too complicated to explain but the combination is helpful in many of the other causes of crookneck/limberneck) The prednisone he advises is to deal with the brain inflammation... if the bird does not show improvement on the vitE/selenium and B vitamins (or symptoms become worse) or you are pretty sure it is from an injury in the first place then I would suggest you start the prednisone and follow the treatment in Alans article.
WHEN BRAIN INFLAMMATION IS INVOLVED THIS CONDITION CAN TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS TO RESOLVE

One last personal comment ... I know there are many who give the occasional "treat" or "supplement" of cat/dog food but I urge you not to do this... particularly in this case as there are other vitamins and such in there in the wrong amounts and ratio to each other which can hamper this therapy (in particular an excess of vitamin A can hamper the uptake of the vitamin E)
http://www.omri.org/Amino_acids_livestock.pdf
"...While it is nutritionally essential, methionine excesses are far more toxic to poultry than similar excesses of tryptophan, lysine, and threonine (National Research Council, 1994). A dosage of 2 g / mature cat / day (20 to 30 g / kg dry diet) for 20 days induces anorexia, ataxia,cyanosis, methemoglobinemia and Heinz body formation resulting in hemolytic anemia (Maede,
1985). ..."

 

[bantymum]

Thanks dhunicorn that was fantastic info. Ill stop giving them leftover catfood from the tin!!!
Ive been lucky not to have any problems like this with my silkies,touch wood!
Hows the little chick going now Sue?

 

[ozark hen]

Diana, so good to have your advice. Sorry, didn't know where you were located. I definitely will copy this advice down in case I end up with this problem with my silkies. Good thing this was read as I was ready to run out and buy cat food.

 

[Silkie Sue]

Hi Everybody,
Thankyou all for your help and thankyou Melanie for going the extra mile with advise last nite.
My chick went to work with me today and was eating and drinking well, I put electrolytes and vitamins in her water and now she is out with mama and the rest of her family doing alright. She had a couple seizures and the others I don't trust not to pick on her, so she will be in the house at nite and to work with me til she beats this. I better get out there and check on her
Thanx again and I'll keep every one posted
Sue