Help please!! Strange behavior from my seabright..

[dgeter]

Earlier today I thought that my seabright was crop bound. Its possible that she was.. when we were massaging her gullet we felt something release. However now, we're realizing there is a whole different issue here.

She is holding her head at a sharp angle and she won't move it back to straight. She also will not use her legs and when you try to get her to stand she falls over to the side that her head is angled at. While she is very week, I believe there is more involved than weekness. My husband thinks she's acting like she had a stroke. She does attempt to get up from time to time but she cannot. Its like she doesnt have control of her legs.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m8/dgeter22/DSCN5073.jpg

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m8/dgeter22/DSCN5073.jpg

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m8/dgeter22/DSCN5075.jpg

As you can see, she keeps her eyes closed a lot

Please help!!

 

[PioneerPrincess]

A couple of months ago, our Self-Blue Bantam had like symptoms. His head was twisting back and staying, he had no control of his legs, and his eyes were closed most of the time. Our little banty was perfectly fine that morning-other than his crow was unusually weak- and that evening we found him laying in the nesting box chicken. A very chicken- experienced friend told us that he probably had range paralysis (a.k.a Marek's Disease). He died that night.

I'm sorry about your hen.

 

[dgeter]

Shoot.. yeah I just read the symptoms and it all sounds right. I'm glad we separated her from the flock. Tomorrow I'll go and sanitize the coop as best I can so that the others don't get it as well.

I'm guessing there is no cure for this.. I just googled it and can only find information on symptoms, not cures..

 

[MissJenny]

It sounds like wry neck to me. Do a google search here for wry neck -- it is a nutritional deficiency. Most treat with Poly-vi-sol Children's Liquid Vitamins WITHOUT iron, as well as B-12 and Vitamin E. I am not sure of the strength of the B-12 or in what form. Vitamin E comes in gel tabs that can be pricked with a pin and dribbled into the bird's mouth (gently, careful that the bird does not aspirate the liquid.) Or dribbled on the beak which will then drip into her mouth.

Anyway, search "wry neck" and see if the symptoms match.

Jenny

 

[dgeter]

Okay wry neck is a possibility as well. She's still alive and she is getting a little stronger but she still cannot use her legs, she's still week, and her neck is still stuck at an angle. I'm hoping that its not the disease since she's still alive.

 

[dgeter]

Okay I thought she was getting better but she just started doing this thing where she breaths through her mouth. See the video bellow. What does this mean? is she not getting enough air?

 

[mmaddie's mom]

I rarely say this, but it might be time to put her down. I am so sorry.

Does this happen to Seabrights a lot?!? I lost the only 2 I had to something very similar. None of the rest of my flock was affected.

... again... sorry...

 

[Year of the Rooster]

I have also lost a hen to something almost identical. Instead of her head twisted like yours, her head was cocked to the side. She was unable to walk either and eventually died. None of my other Sebrights contracted this.

ETA: here is the thread about her: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=312666

 

[dgeter]

That is so strange.. IS this a seabright thing?? She's the only one I've had. The other seabright we got died at 2 weeks. It sounds like the labored breathing is the last sign before they pass

so I guess she may not make it through the night. I'm at least relieved that the other chickens you guys had were not effected.

::sigh::

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Don't know for sure but this is why I never got any more Seabrights... they were great little birds and it was just too hard.