If not wry neck then what?

[Jkoleff83]

I have a 1 year old hen I've been treating for little over 2 months now with selenium + vitamin e gel and poultry cell in water for what I thought was wry neck with no improvement. Her neck is not constantly twisted but she has spasms (especially when stressed, like I walk into the room, or I pick her up to give meds or change pads under her) that only last 60 seconds or so at a time. She eats fine, drinks fine, poops are all normal. No lice, mites, or any other sign/symptoms of something else being wrong. Is there something else that causes wry neck/star gazing or neck spasms that I can try treating her for?

 

[coach723]

If you can post a video of what she does, it might be helpful. You have to upload to another host and put the link here, so it can be seen.
I've had a couple of birds with weird neurological issues with no real known cause, so sometimes it's hard to know. If they can eat and drink well, they can do OK. I had a rooster with head twisting and shaking randomly, he eventually stopped doing it, it started at about 6 months old and finally seemed to stop around 5 -6 years old. No idea what the cause was, he's still here and so far it hasn't recurred. I had a hen suddenly develop a weird condition where she would go basically comatose under stress or when startled, also a couple of times it seemed like bright light caused it. After a few minutes she would revive and act fine. In her case I suspect epilepsy could have been the cause, and there's not a lot of info on that in chickens. She eventually died of a cancer, whether the two were related, I don't know but it was certainly a possibility.

 

[Jkoleff83]

If you can post a video of what she does, it might be helpful. You have to upload to another host and put the link here, so it can be seen.
I've had a couple of birds with weird neurological issues with no real known cause, so sometimes it's hard to know. If they can eat and drink well, they can do OK. I had a rooster with head twisting and shaking randomly, he eventually stopped doing it, it started at about 6 months old and finally seemed to stop around 5 -6 years old. No idea what the cause was, he's still here and so far it hasn't recurred. I had a hen suddenly develop a weird condition where she would go basically comatose under stress or when startled, also a couple of times it seemed like bright light caused it. After a few minutes she would revive and act fine. In her case I suspect epilepsy could have been the cause, and there's not a lot of info on that in chickens. She eventually died of a cancer, whether the two were related, I don't know but it was certainly a possibility.

this is a video of her

 

[coach723]

It's always possible that there is more going on. That does look neurological. Can you add a super B complex tablet/capsule daily? The B's are very safe and can sometimes present with very weird symptoms if they are deficient. If you want to continue trying that is what I would do. If it comes to the point that she cannot eat and drink on he own, then a necropsy may be the only way to know for sure what is going on. Without specialized vet care, there isn't much else that can be done, and even then it may not be treatable, depending on the cause. If it's deficiency or disease based (viral or bacterial) then they might be able to treat. Also possible that there is a tumor or there was a head injury. If it continues to get worse, then the prognosis is probably not good.

 

[Jkoleff83]

It's always possible that there is more going on. That does look neurological. Can you add a super B complex tablet/capsule daily? The B's are very safe and can sometimes present with very weird symptoms if they are deficient. If you want to continue trying that is what I would do. If it comes to the point that she cannot eat and drink on he own, then a necropsy may be the only way to know for sure what is going on. Without specialized vet care, there isn't much else that can be done, and even then it may not be treatable, depending on the cause. If it's deficiency or disease based (viral or bacterial) then they might be able to treat. Also possible that there is a tumor or there was a head injury. If it continues to get worse, then the prognosis is probably not good.

How do I give her the super B complex tablet? Is that a once a day and give her the entire tablet (crushed into food or water)? I'd definitely like to give her the chance because when that is not happening she seems otherwise happy and healthy.

 

[coach723]

You can crush it or emtpy it and mix it into a bit of moistened feed, or you can just pop it in her mouth and she'll swallow it. I have an old rooster on it right now, I just put it in his beak in the morning, only takes a second, they can swallow pretty large things, so even if it's a large pill or capsule it usually goes down just fine. I use a fairly high dose super B complex, I've never, ever had any issues from giving it. It won't mix in water, it will settle out. And yes, once a day is good. I always keep it on hand, sometimes when I have birds in molt that aren't feeling well from that, they don't eat well and can become deficient. They have balance issues, walk like they're drunk, have weak legs, etc. and usually when that is the cause I see improvement within a few days. If you see improvement then I would continue the supplementation until she's been completely normal for at least a few days. Once they are recovered then normally the regular diet will be enough to maintain it.

 

[Jkoleff83]

Thank you so very much I am going to go pick some up today and get her started on it right away. Would you recommend stopping the selenium + vitamin e gel or should I continue with that as well?

 

[coach723]

If it hasn't helped at all in 2 months, then I would probably stop it at this point. E can start to be toxic if too much is given for too long. B's are water soluble and extra is excreted, E is fat soluble and extra is not excreted. Thiamine deficiency can also cause wry neck, so the B's will cover that.
This may help:
https://grubblyfarms.com/blogs/the-flyer/a-guide-to-wry-neck-in-chickens

 

[Jkoleff83]

Update: seeing no improvement using the super B Complex one tablet daily. Although I took her outside twice on two different days, she did not have any issues entire time she was roaming the yard while eating grass and bugs aside from constant neck slightly twisted to one side (as if looking towards ground) until I went to pick her up and bring her back inside. Once inside again she had the full on twisting upside down again as in the video.

 

[Shadrach]

Perhaps the best thing to do, without stating the obvious, is to leave her outside as much as possible if that improves her demeanor, especially given it's highly unlikely you will discover a medical problem that can be rectified.