HELP with 3 week old chicks w/wry neck

[KToddy]

My favorite 2 little hatched silkie chick keeps wobbling his/her head, another one is cocking its head sideways.
My neighbors had me get a selenium/vit e supplement and poly-vi-sol infant vitamins.

We are dropping 2 drops twice a day on their beaks for the to swallow, and mixing the selenium paste into their food, but the 400IU dose is a big amount to get in them. We have them separated from the more aggressive chicks.

IS there is more we can do- or if we are getting enough in them?… is there a way to get the full dose in them without stressing them out so much? They do not like the Vitamin E oil in their food, or in yogurt or yolk cooked or raw. They fight terribly if we open their beaks, and they shake off anything dribbled on the beak!

PLEASE HELP

I saw a previous post with specific details you had given for one gal- I would be so grateful if you could help us!


My daughter and I are so attached to these two.. and a tiny stumbly polish one too…. We hatched the two with wry neck from my neighbors hens. Herman even has curly feathers… please help us save them!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

selenium/vit e supplement and poly-vi-sol infant vitamins.

We are dropping 2 drops twice a day on their beaks for the to swallow, and mixing the selenium paste into their food, but the 400IU dose is a big amount to get in them.

Photos of the labels on the products may be helpful.

How much paste are you trying to give?

You want to give 400IU Vitamin E along with 1/4 tablet B-Complex to each chick that is having problems. A little egg is sufficient Selenium for the uptake of E.

If you need to, mix the vitamin E and the B-Complex in a small amount of water, then syringe directly into them.

To get 400IU Vit E into them using Poly Vi Sol, you would have to give a lot. It doesn't contain much E.

 

[KToddy]

400IU is 4 grams - (goat paste -E & selenium) quite a lot. I have been trying but they become very stressed halfway thru they hate the taste. so we put the rest in their food, which they don’t eat much of. The polyvisol (for the B vitamins) we drop on their beak and sometime they take it.. sometimes they shake it off.

I am so worried they are not getting enough- we are so attached to them!! They despise the e oil too, tried in yolk (raw & cooked) , tuna, their crumble.. I am not confident that I can “put it directly in” without aspirating them.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do they sell vitamin E softgels where you buy your vitamins? Those usually come in 400 IU strength, you can give the softgel orally into the beak, or piece it and squeeze contents in food.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I scrambled an egg and pulled a bit away grom the rest then added the E to that
My duckling ate that really quick then I gave the rest of the egg to him
If your chick will eat the scrambled egg this is a great way to get E and selenium without using Actual selenium pill form

 

[Wyorp Rock]

400IU is 4 grams - (goat paste -E & selenium) quite a lot.

The polyvisol (for the B vitamins) we drop on their beak and sometime they take it.. sometimes they shake it off.

I understand what you are saying, but giving 4grams of the goat paste you would also be giving 46.4mcg of Selenium (which is also in the paste).
Bottom line is that's too much Selenium long term. A chicken's daily intake of Selenium is around 25mcg, so you're doubling that. Selenium in large doses can be toxic in time.
Their feed contains Selenium already. The "extra selenium" that is being suggested through food (eggs, tuna, etc.) is just to help with the uptake of E.

As I suggested in my previous post - go to Walmart, CVS, etc. and get a bottle of 400IU Vitamin E softgels and a bottle of Vitamin B-Complex. Give each chick 1 softgel daily and 1/4 tablet B-Complex. Syringe the the meds into them or add it to a small amount of wet feed.

Good luck!

 

[KToddy]

Thank you- I have tried the gels too- these chicks won’t eat anything that has the medicine on it. I wish I had more experience and could get their beaks open. The polyvysol is sometimes getting in.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

At that age, they can be a bit squirmy. I like to stand chicks on a flat surface that's covered with a towel or shelf liner, this way they have their feet under them and can feel more secure. Pull the chick to your body, this helps hold them, then hold the back and wings with with your thumb and 3 last fingers leaving your pointer finger loose, then have your pointer finger and other hand to manipulate the head/neck and syringe.