Help!! chick walking backward with head down!

[hennyannie]

I just gave it water with a little bit of sugar added, I had to use a dropper to get the food and water in him. Also I made soup from the starter feed (Wet it till it was runny) and fed him this with med dropper. I dont think the kind of yogurt matters as long as it is the kind with live cultures or whatever.

 

[hennyannie]

This little roo is almost 2 months and he had a lot of catch up to do(He looked starved for a while) but he did it. Did you catch the comment about them not fully recoveringI'm not sure he is fully okay, he does some odd things now.Like practically scream if I have to pick him up and he sometimes walks all over the others like he doesnt notice them. I am sure he is not blindthough. Looked back over your post and noticed that you said head down in corner, another similarity to mine. Wanted to mention I think it took about 3 days to see improvements.

 

[2overeasy]

Oh, "starter" soup - I get it!! Okay, so the yogurt I have is Activia - I guess I could try that. Maybe she would like the little blueberries that are in it.
I just went and checked her and dipped her beak in the water and she got a couple of good drinks. Ate a bit more egg. Stood up straight for a minute or so, then tucked her head down and flipped over! If I weren't so worried, it would be funny, you know?
I just want to get her through the night til I can get some vitamins (poly-vi-sol, right?). Should I go ahead and get some antibiotics or prednisone or something? Or just start with the vitamins?
I found this link in my research where this guy tells exactly what he did: http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=casestudiesemergencies&action=display&num=1160927052
What really sucks is that I leave Thursday for vacation for a week. I have a friend coming to stay who will take excellent care of her and be an attentive nurse, but I hate not to be here...

 

[Celtic Chick]

I know nothing about wry neck, or the symptoms your chick is experiencing, but if you did a search for it on this site, you would find alot of info from past posts, I am sure.
Poly-Vis-Ol is correct. Make sure it is not the iron-fortified formula. Or if you have a feed store nearby, Sav-A-Chik or another vitamin/electrolyte solution for poultry would be good also, but don't combine it in the water with any medications.
A yogurt with active cultures is what you want. I don't know for sure if it is ok to give chickens yogurt with artificial sweetners or not.
Keeping her drinking plenty of water and making her a slurry of chick starter mixed with a little warm water is important right now until someone can give you some more detailed advice. The feed will give her strength, as will the egg.
You're doing good. Keep it up and be patient. We'll get you through this.

 

[2overeasy]

Celtic Druid:
I did read several other posts, but what you've given me is actually the most specific and has all the answers in one post! What I mean by that, is that I got bits and pieces here and there of the info you've given but scattered throughout different posts. It became difficult to tell exactly what I should do. Also, no one said not to use the iron fortified Poly.
One thing: do you mean I shouldn't use the Sav-A-Chik and the Poly at the same time, that I should choose one or the other? Or just not to put both medications in the water?
Oh, and do I need to give antibiotics, too? some posts mentioned that?
Thank you so much!

 

[Celtic Chick]

Every time I see someone recommend the poly-vis-ol, they have always stressed to not use the iron-fortified one, so I recommend that you do the same. I would also suggest that you use either poly-vis-ol or the Sav-A-Chik. Using both might be too much. I personally would lean toward the Sav-A-Chik because it is specifically made for poultry, but that is completely up to you.
I do not know for sure if your chick has wry neck or not, but I did read that wry neck is not known to be caused by a bacteria or organism, so antibiotics would not do anything. Besides, you are already feeding them a medicated chick starter, which contains a low dose of antibiotics in it.
What I meant by "don't combine it in the water with any medications" is to not put antibiotics and vitamins in the water together. Just stick with a vitamin in the water & keep trying to feed her the starter soup and some bits of egg. The egg might also help her with her feather problem. Protein is good for feathers. You could also try to see if she will eat tiny bits of cooked, mashed broccoli or sweet potato. They contain vitamins A & E, both of which are very important in a chicken's diet, especially when they are ill. Hopefully she will improve soon. I hope this helps you.

 

[easttxchick]

Quote:
No your chick doesn't need antibiotics-it needs a regimen of B Vitamins, Selenium and I believe it's Vitamin E.

 

[2overeasy]

Okay, so my feed store didn't have Save-a-chick, so I got the polyvisol, no iron. It has E and B but no selenium. So, should I get some selenium, and if so, in what form? Maybe a food high in selenium? I'll research that.
I got some antibiotics, but I got the wrong thing, but now I know not to use it.
I just got back from the store, so haven't given her anything yet except for egg, french toast (!), and starter soup, and she already seems better. She does drink on her own and is interested in food and is eating. So I'm not having to give her food and water via dropper. The water level in her drinker has gone down significantly since last night and she hasn't spilled any. I hadn't handled them very much since I got them, and they'd run like a scary, chick-eating monster was after them, every time I'd cleaned and change water/feeder. She, however, now that she is separated, doesn't seem the least bit afraid of me and is quite content to sit on my lap for treats. Interesting. I run an animal rescue (mostly dogs and horses) so I know the rescued ones are the most grateful and willing. Maybe that's the case with her...
You all are being very helpful - I'm grateful! And so is my little girl

[Edited 5 minutes after: First let me say that I found another thread on this and it is several pages long. And the responses/ solutions are so varied that it's quite confusing. I felt good about the polyvisol I just bought, until I sat down to read more and read this thread. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=97121&p=1]

 

[Celtic Chick]

Research the foods high in selenium & go with that. That is always my first choice, the most natural one.
I would definitely skip the antibiotics for now. As long as she is eating & drinking for you, that is important. Give her a drop of poly-vis-ol every day, and keep feeding her the starter soup, egg & foods high in Vit. A, E & selenium. If you notice her droppings getting runny, give her some yogurt. You can even mix some chick starter in with it.
The fact that she is eating & drinking is a very good sign that you are doing the right things. She is getting stronger & therefore should be getting healthier too. Her immune system is working.
I forgot to mention my sister has a Polish roo who has wry neck. He is over a year old now & doing fine. His neck twists from time to time, but he can also straighten it out, so don't despair that this is a losing battle. Not all chicks are the same. Some may survive while others succomb. As long as you try to do what you think is best, that is all that matters.
And as for your chicks being scared to death of you, that will pass. As they get older & get used to seeing you, they will gradually warm up & realize you are not the terrible chick-eating machine that they envision. As your sick chick has proven, the more they see you, the calmer they will become. It just takes time and patience.

 

[tiffanyg2]

Quote:
Sometimes if you make an additional comment on your post it will bump your thread back up to the top of the list! If you keep doing that somebody that may have an answer would be more apt to see it. Things get buried very quickly on here especially since so many people are receiving new chicks to brag about. I hope she pulls through ok~