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). ..."
