helppp! baby chick with neurological problem?? =/

[Ashleyy_x3]

so one of my chicks thats only a few days old seems to have started acting very strangely... it was normal the first few days but now seems to run backwards very fast and keeps its head curled downwards... =/ all it seems to do it want to curl up in the fetal position and sleep.... and when it does get up it doesnt function well.... like i said. he runs/walks backwards, keeps his head/neck bent downward, and all seems to shake his head quite a bit... i have him w/ me right now because the other chicks were picking on him and almost picked his eyeball out......


whats wrong with my baby?

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

I dont know whats wrong with your baby..

But I have a button quail that walks in circles ever since it was hatched.. It does walk straight to.. But if it gets excited or scared.. It goes in circles.. Some times it just circles some of the other birds.. I wish I knew what was wrong with mine too..

Hope I didnt steal your thread.. If so Im sorry..

 

[scbatz33]

I'm gonna bump this post because I just came home to find one of my black orp chicks looking like it was dead lying with it's head completely under its body. When I picked it up it squawked like crazy, flapping about. When I set it back down it went back to the same laying on it's head "fetal" position. I have taken it out of the brooder and put it by itself. It is up and eating and drinking with a severe lean to it's head/neck.

My son says it didn't fall out of the brooder and that it wasn't acting strangely earlier. None of the other chicks are having any problems. This little girl is about a month old.

I have not brought any new birds in. I hatched this group out myself. Does anyone have any ideas? Outside of a physical injury - she appears to have no wounds and no picking from the other birds - is there an illness I should be concerned about??

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[okieroy]

Bump

 

[NotTheMomma]

do a search for wry neck. Basically some have had improvements when giving vitamin E, and B. Its a vitamin defiency

 

[sammi]

Wry Neck ..also called Crookneck.

separate the chicks ...keep warm as usual..
what temps are you keeping them at?

can be caused by vitamin deficiency
and sometimes from being pecked on the head, especially with certain breeds..

or botulism from wet feed going bad under heat light..(best to check that and clean up any spilled feed)
what bedding are you using?

if from deficiency:
get some Poly-vi-sol liquid baby vitamins, Enfamil brand if possible, no iron..give 2-3 drops on beak once a day, then taper off for another week if chick improves.
in the meantime, get some chick vitamins.
also give a very teeny dab of Vitamin E oil from a capsule.

make up some soft scrambled egg, and feed by hand if necessary.
Kaytee baby bird feed can be used also..(from pet/bird store)
give water by drops on beak as often as possible..
you can also try making up this mixture and feed by hand or if the chick stabilizes some and is able to eat, also have regular chick feed available..

this amount is for 1 day..divided into 3 feeds.

3-4 tablespoons of water cooked oatmeal
I cooked chopped egg yolk
2 tablespoons plain yogurt..
1/2 teaspoon honey or unsweetened applesauce.
add enough chick feed to make it puffy, not soupy or gummy.

give the mixture for 3-5 days..
(if from Botulism..hopefully this mix will help neutralize it..
tho there are flushes you can give.)
post if you need this info...( a crop tube will be needed)

here is a link to more info about Wry Neck/Crookneck, and suggested treatments. and link to video of chick with with wry neck.

http://fowlfacts.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=2008&action=display&thread=429

hope this helps the chicks.

 

[Kelpie]

Wry neck! I bet it is a silkie or polish or otherwise crested. You need polyvisol baby vitamins from the pharmacy counter, give 4 drops a day until you see improvement then continue a smaller dose. Get the kaytee baby bird hand feeding formula from a petstore and feed with a syringe until it can control it's neck enough to eat. Remove litter from it's own private brood area so it doesn't get it in it's eyes. Paper towel works. I nursed a chick like this I was ready to put down. It took ten days of intense care but it leads a good life now, she still spins in circles when she's excited though.

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
Just out of curiosity, if all of the birds are on the same diet, why would only one show a vitamin deficiency?

 

[Kelpie]

Quote:
Just out of curiosity, if all of the birds are on the same diet, why would only one show a vitamin deficiency?

My opinion is that it's more of a genetic predisposition among certain crested strains and that vitamin therapy can aid in brain development.

 

[espressola]

It's not always a crested- I have an 8.5 week old Australorp that started having problems almost 2 weeks ago. I've been alternating doses of the PolyViSol and the Vit E with Selenium and she is MUCH better- standing perfectly upright most of the time... she still flutters about and sometimes falls over when excited, and her aim when pecking at (live) food isn't as good as the others, but I am pleased with her recovery so far...
Patty N. ;-)