Hen down with twisted neck

Lighthearted

Hatching
Aug 18, 2024
9
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I just found my one year-old barnyard mix hen down with a twisted neck. She still has energy enough to flap and fight a whole lot when I picked her up but she looks pretty bad. She definitely can’t stand up or move. It looks like she’s had some loose stools May be a little yellowish white, no obvious injury. She does seem to be in a soft molt as I see new feathers coming in none of the rest of the flock have any symptoms I have about 60 birds and a free range and my backyard coop bedding is hay.
I have her some vitamins and electrolytes via syringe - definitely can’t eat or drink on her own. It is hot here, and I’m not sure how long she has been down (everyone seemed fine last night) but I am sure she is dehydrated.
What can I do for her? Looking for what I can do - don’t have a vet that does chickens, plus it’s Friday night, so…
I have her isolated.

Update - just saw that she seems to have bumblefoot.
 
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Wry neck can be a result of head injury, vitamin E or thiamine deficiency, and is seen in some diseases that affect the brain. Can you try dipping her beak into a small cup of water with electrolytes to get her to drink on her own. I would give her human vitamin E 400 IU and 1/4 tablet of super B complex daily for at least a couple of weeks. If you can get a 12 to 15 inch piece of oxygen tubing or aquarium air tubing sold at pet or fish aisles in Walmart and pet stores, you could attach a larger 35 ml syringe and tube feed her water. Tube feeding is quick and easy to learn. A larger tube and syringe can be found on Amazon. Fluids are given 15 ml per pound of weight 2-3 times a day. At first give fluids, and if tolerated then you may start feedings of KayTee Exact Baby Bird Feed.
 

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