Help! My Silkie can't stand up and throws her head back when laying down

[rhondatalk]

I need some help. I let my Silkie and her 4 coop friends out to free range on Friday and she was fine. Saturday when my son went to let them out he said that the Silkie was walking like she was drunk and couldn't stand up without tipping over and catching herself with her wing.

I went out and observed and he was exactly right. I immediately picked her up and put her in an isolation cage with food and water with some vitamins and electrolytes, but she didn't seem interested much. She ate a little and drank a little, but was just sitting down with her legs to the side, but sitting up.

By Saturday night she couldn't hold herself up. She was laying in the cage completely on her side with one wing outstretched behind her in a weird position and her head back in an awkward position. When I pick her up and hold her, she throws her head back as though the ceiling is the ground. She doesn't have much motor control. I can't get her to eat anything, but have been picking her up and dipping her beak in the vitamin/electrolyte water quite often, and then I lay her gently back down. She doesn't move much, and when she does, she just kicks her leg to spin her around on the towel.

symptoms came on so quickly! The other 4 seem to be fine, but I don't know what it is, can someone help?

Thanks so much! We love our Silkie!!! (by the way she is 11 weeks old)

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Sorry to hear about your silkie

From what you have described she could be suffering from wry/crook neck. It's a neurological disorder brought on by head injury or vitamin deficiency. Silkies can be more prone to this condition if they have a vaulted skull. Part of the brain can be exposed so a peck or bumb can easily cause damage. Wry/crook neck can also be a genetic issue.

There are many threads/articles on this, please do use the search box above for them and here are a couple ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck

~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/wry-neck-causes-treatment-and-prevention

Good luck with her

 

[EggSighted4Life]

That's basically what the bantam chicks I got in the mail did, 1 by 1. I lost them all and am researching how to help them better on the next shipment.

I did discover that I can let a drop of the water/vitamin solution drip from the top of the beak (below nostrils) and the chick would drink up as it flowed down and around.

I didn't know it could happen as they got older (nutritionally). I wasn't able to save any of mine. It was hard, but would be even harder with a chick I was attached to already like yours.

I hope your chick gets better. And good for your son for paying attention and reporting anything abnormal!

Good luck!

 

[rhondatalk]

thank you so much, I will read into it. She was just laying on her side this morning, not in a weird position like she was yesterday, but not moving much. I appreciate your help!

 

[rhondatalk]

That's basically what the bantam chicks I got in the mail did, 1 by 1. I lost them all and am researching how to help them better on the next shipment.

I did discover that I can let a drop of the water/vitamin solution drip from the top of the beak (below nostrils) and the chick would drink up as it flowed down and around.

I didn't know it could happen as they got older (nutritionally). I wasn't able to save any of mine. It was hard, but would be even harder with a chick I was attached to already like yours.

I hope your chick gets better. And good for your son for paying attention and reporting anything abnormal!

Good luck!

gosh, how sad for you as well! She is drinking the vitamin water as I hold her and dip her beak in it. I'm not there today, so my son is on Silkie nurse duty!