Help?

[aurajean515]

Alright, I've got a weird one. I havent seen this in the almost 6 years I've been raising chickens.
I have a month and a half old Cuckoo maran. She's out with the rest of the flock during the day and in the chick brooder at night with the other chicks. A couple nights ago, I had gone out to make sure everyone was in bed and I found her on the ground with her head hanging down, her throat facing outwards. And she was moving her neck wildly. I was sure a larger bird had hurt her and she wasnt going to make it through the night. Well... a couple days later and she's still alive. Shes able to chirp, walk around, eat, and drink. The only thing is she cant hold her head straight and it often falls, causing her to panic trying to lift it back up again.
I'm no vet, but I know what a break feels like. And feeling her neck, I can't find anything broken. I've tried to massage her neck and at one part, at the base of her head, she chirps as if in pain. But it doesnt feel abnormal there.
If anyones seen this before please let me know about your experience. If I have a chicken thats a little bit special needs, then so be it. But if she doesn't have to live her life like this I'd like to help her

 

[DobieLover]

Alright, I've got a weird one. I havent seen this in the almost 6 years I've been raising chickens.
I have a month and a half old Cuckoo maran. She's out with the rest of the flock during the day and in the chick brooder at night with the other chicks. A couple nights ago, I had gone out to make sure everyone was in bed and I found her on the ground with her head hanging down, her throat facing outwards. And she was moving her neck wildly. I was sure a larger bird had hurt her and she wasnt going to make it through the night. Well... a couple days later and she's still alive. Shes able to chirp, walk around, eat, and drink. The only thing is she cant hold her head straight and it often falls, causing her to panic trying to lift it back up again.
I'm no vet, but I know what a break feels like. And feeling her neck, I can't find anything broken. I've tried to massage her neck and at one part, at the base of her head, she chirps as if in pain. But it doesnt feel abnormal there.
If anyones seen this before please let me know about your experience. If I have a chicken thats a little bit special needs, then so be it. But if she doesn't have to live her life like this I'd like to help her

I honestly don't know but it sounds a bit like wry neck. I'm sure you already have, but if not, I would isolate her to prevent her from getting trampled.
If she were my chick, I would start her on some Poultry Nutri-drench in her water immediately. Then I'd start the standard wry neck treatment of one 400 IU capsule of vitamin E in a soft boiled egg once daily. You can also sprinkle oregano, parsley or thyme in her food as they are all good natural sources of vitamin E.
If this is wry neck, it will take weeks of treatment to resolve.
If you are feeding medicated starter to her, I would also take her off that and put her on non-medicated starter or Flock Raiser or something similar without the thiamine inhibitor in it but with 18-20% protein.
As I said, this is what I would do if this happened to me. The ER experts may recommend otherwise but it's a start.

 

[Mvan42]

I am not sure. But I had a chick hatch that it’s neck went back not forward. I was told vitamin B would help. Maybe try that until someone else answers who possibly knows more. Keep an eye on her make sure she eats and drinks. Hope she gets better. Maybe she got it stuck while free ranging and strained a muscle or tendon.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would give the vitamin E and another source of vitamins that has thiamine (B1) on the label. Many foods including a small amount of liver or hamburger contain B vitamins as well. B complex tablets have all B’s and can be ground or crushed onto food, just 1/4 tablet daily. Tuna, salmon, and sunflower kernels in small portions, have vitamin E and selenium, a mineral that helps the E to be utilized. Be sure that her chick feed is the largest amount of her nutrition.

Wry neck (torticolis, crook neck) is a neurological condition that is a symptom of many possible things, such as vitamin B1 or E deficiency, heredity, head injury, and in older birds, can be a sign of Mareks disease and some others that affect the brain. It can take some time to see an improvement, but make sure that she gets enough to eat and drink.

 

[aurajean515]

I honestly don't know but it sounds a bit like wry neck. I'm sure you already have, but if not, I would isolate her to prevent her from getting trampled.
If she were my chick, I would start her on some Poultry Nutri-drench in her water immediately. Then I'd start the standard wry neck treatment of one 400 IU capsule of vitamin E in a soft boiled egg once daily. You can also sprinkle oregano, parsley or thyme in her food as they are all good natural sources of vitamin E.
If this is wry neck, it will take weeks of treatment to resolve.
If you are feeding medicated starter to her, I would also take her off that and put her on non-medicated starter or Flock Raiser or something similar without the thiamine inhibitor in it but with 18-20% protein.
As I said, this is what I would do if this happened to me. The ER experts may recommend otherwise but it's a start.

Wry neck can just...happen like that? Fine one second and then not the next?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Completely agree, wry neck.

What is being fed including treats and supplements?

It can *appear* to just happen instantly.

In addition to the vitamin supplement.. I would think some added physical therapy might help her to recover quicker.