Help sick chicken

[Inkedxoxo]

Hello I have a three-month-old mixed breed from tractor supply. I came out this morning to find one of my favorites Indie leaning against one of the nesting boxes with her neck completely limp. She has no control over it whatsoever as if it’s broken but it doesn’t appear to be broken it just seems that way it. It was it was in the 80s yesterday and is in the 80s today. All other 10 chickens seem to be fine. She’s inside with me in a cool place and I’ve been giving her water via baby syringe (very little at a time). Any ideas on what to do or what it could be?

 

[Chicken Lady Halle]

If her neck is limp it sounds to me like botulism. Does her neck hang when you pick her up?

 

[Inkedxoxo]

Yes it does

 

[Chicken Lady Halle]

It sounds like botulism. I'll type up what Gail Damerow says about botulism in her book The Chicken Health Handbook.

 

[Chicken Lady Halle]

Clostridium botulinum, bacteria that commonly live in the intestines of chickens are not themselves pathogenic. When they multiply in the carcasses of dead animals-enviroments that lack oxygen-they generate some of the world's most potent toxins. Botulism is therefore a poisoning rather than an infection.Birds become poisoned after pecking at rotting organic matter or drinking contaminated water.
A poisoned bird gradually becomes paralyzed from the feet up.Initially the bird sits around or limps if you make it move. As paralysis progresses through its body,its wings droop and its neck goes limp. If you pick up an affected bird,it will hang loosely in your hands.
A typical indication of botulism poisoning is finding healthy chickens, sick chickens, and dead chickens together in the same yard. A chicken that survives for 48 hours has not consumes a deadly dose and is likely to recover. Of course, the first thing you should do is identify and remove the source of the toxin.
If a bird isn't too far gone,you might bring it around by squirting cool water and a molasses or epsom salt solution into its crop. Treatment with na antibiotic such as bacitracin or chlortetracycline, along with a supplement of selenium and vitamins A, D and E, may be helpful. Treatment with an antitoxin (available from a vet) may be effective if administered in time; type C botulism is the toxin most commonly found in poultry. Botulism is easily avoided through good sanitation.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Calling @casportpony to see if she would have any ideas or suggestions.

In the meantime, does she appear to have pain? I know there is something called wry neck, and I've not read up on it, but you could try a search here on BYC for it.

Good luck and I do hope it's not a broken neck. Beautiful bird by the way.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Clostridium botulinum, bacteria that commonly live in the intestines of chickens are not themselves pathogenic. When they multiply in the carcasses of dead animals-enviroments that lack oxygen-they generate some of the world's most potent toxins. Botulism is therefore a poisoning rather than an infection.Birds become poisoned after pecking at rotting organic matter or drinking contaminated water.
A poisoned bird gradually becomes paralyzed from the feet up.Initially the bird sits around or limps if you make it move. As paralysis progresses through its body,its wings droop and its neck goes limp. If you pick up an affected bird,it will hang loosely in your hands.
A typical indication of botulism poisoning is finding healthy chickens, sick chickens, and dead chickens together in the same yard. A chicken that survives for 48 hours has not consumes a deadly dose and is likely to recover. Of course, the first thing you should do is identify and remove the source of the toxin.
If a bird isn't too far gone,you might bring it around by squirting cool water and a molasses or epsom salt solution into its crop. Treatment with na antibiotic such as bacitracin or chlortetracycline, along with a supplement of selenium and vitamins A, D and E, may be helpful. Treatment with an antitoxin (available from a vet) may be effective if administered in time; type C botulism is the toxin most commonly found in poultry. Botulism is easily avoided through good sanitation.

I'm not saying it wouldn't be botulism, but from what the OP says it sounds like it suddenly has a limp neck. The article states that the botulism paralysis begins in the feet and works it's way up.

 

[Chicken Lady Halle]

Looking at pictures of wry neck it doesn't seem to be that.

 

[casportpony]

To check for botulism one can poke the corner of the eye and if they blink with their inner lid it's probably not botulism.

 

[Inkedxoxo]

Looking at pictures of wry neck it doesn't seem to be that.

Yeah it definitely doesn’t look like wry neck. she can’t even lift her neck it just droops but she is able to stand. I have no idea how she could even get botulism considering they drink their water so quickly it gets refilled every day and their food doesn’t have poop in it nor are there dead animals or rotting food. I have a vet appointment for her at 5:30 fingers crossed she makes it.