how could she have broken her neck???

[Wayoutwest]

I'm sorry.

I hope it all turns out but I know how hard it is trying to get them through. Hang in there.

 

[cat1994]

I hate to say this but if/when she dies I would take a good look at that neck of hers to see what is up with it, maybe get an x-ray or dissect the neck if you can

 

[Denisemomof4]

I'm pretty sure she has Mareks. She can't stand At All and it appears that she has no control over her legs or drooping wings. I laid her on her back and that's how she slept all night last night. This morning I laid her on her side and she pretty much stays like that.

I'm convinced now the neck isn't broken. While it was a wobbly mess yesterday, like an apple hung from a string, today she is able to move it. She can even hold her head up for short periods of time. MOstly, though, it either falls between her legs or rests completely on her back.

I'm guessing I should return the vitamins E and B12 and the selenium and treat for Mareks. Do you all agree with this new information?

Oh, she has NO interest in food and water. I'm force feeding her baby bird mash mixed with scrambled egg, and also forcing fluids with a syringe.

ETA: She is in my house and I have cockatiels and doves in the house. Should I be worried for my birds?

 

[BlackberryFarm]

How is your girl today?

Any improvement?

 

[Denisemomof4]

we just got back from the vet. I'm not sure he was much help/. He said he didn't think she had Mareks because her liver and lymph nodes weren't swollen. He said he could charge several hundred dollars to run tests but he feels that nothing is going to do any good because she's so extremely emaciated. He said there were two options, and I immediately cut him off and let him know euthanasia wasn't going to happen yet. Her prognosis is "extremely poor" but he sent me home with food and showed me now to tube feed her. I just gave her her first feeding, 2 cc's, and will repeat every 2 hours. If her crop is empty in 2 hours, I'll move it up to 3 cc's. If it's empty another 2 hours later, 4 cc's and so on until she's taking 6 cc's.

Her poo is total diarrhea, green, a tiny white. She's much more alert today. She is seeming to spook some today. She hopped out of my lap twice! I think it was because something scared her. She has had her eyes open much of today, last two days she was pretty much comatose with eyes closed. She does have control of her head at times. Sometimes it flops forward as it did the day I thought her neck was broken, mostly now she rests it on her back looking up. Stargazing?

I want to add coconut oil to her food for extra fats. Does anyone have an opinion on this?

Oh, one last thing. He heard gurgling and said this is affecting her respiratory tract. It's not in her lungs but the air sacks by her stomach. ??? He didn't give her medicine for it because he didn't think it would help. I don't know, maybe he thinks she's going to die so he didn't prescribe?

Does anyone have an opinion on giving her liquid silver? I'm considering this as a last resort. We'd just have to throw her eggs away. She's going to become a house pet if she pulls through. I will find diapers of some kind to keep her inside. My girls are crazy about this idea and my husband is accepting it. My boys will assume that I've finally gone completely insane. I hope she makes it. I love this chicken SO much.

ETA: She's losing a lot of feathers. I have no idea what's up with that. Also, she's trying to stand, but I'm not sure if it's voluntary. She stretches from the tips to her toes to the tip of her beak, and I think it looks like she does it in pain. Now that i have towels on either side of her to help her sit, and towels propping her head, she stands but it's like a jerky, twitchy stand. She has been twitching today. When I see it I pick her up, wondering if it's a seizure. When I pick her up it stops. ANYONE have any idea bout this?

 

[BlackberryFarm]

Wow.......

When our silkie had wry neck, she was very twitchy. She would twitch herself into a corner sometimes. All the while, she would be standing on her head. It was so sad.

This seems different, though. Maybe a mixed picture.

Does massage on the neck help?

I think I would keep feeding her. Keep giving her the baby vitamins. Keep her warm and in a dark quiet place. I don't know about the fats. I think they could clog things up, but don't know. I just know that healthy chickens go for the roughage and some meat (bugs, mice).

Just keep loving her and working the best you can with her.

I really admire your love and dedication to your hen.