Help! My chick with wry neck might have an impacted crop!

[Katrinalarson]

Three weeks ago we received a chick with wry neck, we got her home and set up the brooder. Since she had a hard time eating we gave her ground up chick starter mixed with electro lights and probiotic water. After 48 hours she was able to hold her head up nice and straight, run around, eat, drink, and scratch just like all the other chicks. Fast forward two weeks and her wry neck has come back and it’s worse then ever! We never took her off the vitamin water since her neck was still slightly tilted. I found myself researching for hours what could be causing her wry neck to become so bad overnight after she was almost completely over it. I came across one post that said they aren’t getting bought nutrition because of a blockage in the crop... so I picked her up a felt that her crop was rock solid! I have been watching her for a couple of days and I have noticed that she is still able to defecate but her crop never seems to empty! I took her food away over night and in the morning her crop was still rock hard but she continues to have healthy looking stools. What should I do? Currently I am giving her probiotic water egg yolks and plain yogurt In An attempt to soften her crop when not adding to any potential blockage. Does anyone have any suggestions on what could be happening???

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of her?

What vitamins are in your mix?
How old is she?

I would start by giving her 1/2 tsp coconut oil and massage the crop, see if you can start breaking up what's in there.
Make sure she's staying hydrated and offer her wet chick feed.
Wry Neck is a neurological symptom - some causes are disease, genetics, vitamin/nutritional deficiency.

400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily would be good to give. A bit of egg once a day to help with the uptake of E.

 

[Katrinalarson]

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of her?

What vitamins are in your mix?
How old is she?

I would start by giving her 1/2 tsp coconut oil and massage the crop, see if you can start breaking up what's in there.
Make sure she's staying hydrated and offer her wet chick feed.
Wry Neck is a neurological symptom - some causes are disease, genetics, vitamin/nutritional deficiency.

400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily would be good to give. A bit of egg once a day to help with the uptake of E.

She is around 3-4 weeks old and weighs about 95 grams. I am giving her 1 400IU vitamin E pill each day mixed in with her water that also contains save a chick- probiotic and electro lights.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She is around 3-4 weeks old and weighs about 95 grams. I am giving her 1 400IU vitamin E pill each day mixed in with her water that also contains save a chick- probiotic and electro lights.

Poor little thing.
I would direct dose the 400IU Vitamin E, just squeeze out the oil so she gets it.
Sav-A-Chick probiotics and electrolytes don't contain any vitamins, I would cut those out and give plain water and would get some human B-Complex and give her 1/4 tablet daily along with some egg.

 

[LaFleche]

You can provide some chicken grit or sand for her to help with the digestion.

Some chicks are born with a genetic inability to properly absorb vitamin B from food or liquids and will have to be supported with additional doses on a daily basis for the rest of their lives.

Many years ago, I hatched a Russian Orloff chick suffering from this genetic disorder.

 

[Katrinalarson]

Poor little thing.
I would direct dose the 400IU Vitamin E, just squeeze out the oil so she gets it.
Sav-A-Chick probiotics and electrolytes don't contain any vitamins, I would cut those out and give plain water and would get some human B-Complex and give her 1/4 tablet daily along with some egg.

I will definitely do that, Thank you so much for your help! I will keep everyone updated on her condition. Hopefully she gets better soon!

 

[Katrinalarson]

Update! My little chick is doing so much better!! After a few crop massages and vitamin B complex she is out enjoying the 75 degree weather with her head held up high!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Update! My little chick is doing so much better!! After a few crop massages and vitamin B complex she is out enjoying the 75 degree weather with her head held up high! View attachment 2667310

Glad to hear she is doing better! They both are so cute!

 

[LaFleche]

Update! My little chick is doing so much better!! After a few crop massages and vitamin B complex she is out enjoying the 75 degree weather with her head held up high! View attachment 2667310

Good to hear it worked for her!

 

[Katrinalarson]

I just wanted to hop on here really fast and thank everyone who helped me figure out what was wrong with with my three week old chick named Juno! I am a first time chick owner and she wouldn’t of made it without all of your help!
Ps. I do just have one more question... every other time she poops it comes out foamy, is this normal? Or does it just mean she has to much protein in her diet?