Narcolepsy and other odd "new chick" behavior - normal?!

[riqui1]

Ugh...these are exactly the responses that I was hoping NOT to read! That really stinks! I had already considered the idea that culling (although I didn't know that this is what it was called) was going to have to be considered, as it just didn't seem normal at all.

Could this really have happened just from him getting himself stuck in the feeder?! He was fine yesterday and last night! That's crazy and makes me NOT like this feeder!!

Do you think that I should give him a day or so, just to see if it is something that will clear up on its own? I realize that since this isn't something most have seen before and we don't truly know what is wrong with the poor little guy, it is hard to answer that. I guess that I am just asking what everyone else would do.

 

[catwalk]

I assumed you already thought of putting him to sleep. If he's peeping a lot, he's in pain, and that may be the best remedy. If he can't eat or drink in that position, he'll soon die as well. See if he'll relax in your hands, and try to manipulate his head with your fingers. If his neck straightens, he may have a muscular issue that could improve. If it doesn't, the problem is likely irreversible. No one wants to say it, but Poor Chick may be one of God's fleeting blessings sent here to teach us a hard lesson about mercy. Sorry.

 

[patyrdz]

Give him the vitamins! he should get better. I had a little rooster that did this and he was pretty bad for a while. But he got better and was perfect!! Mine was not a silkie, and I did not give him anything. I was going to cull, but he ate and drank and moved around the best he could, so I kept him! Silkies have been known to have this kind of problem and hopefully the vitamins will help!

Good luck and just watch him so he doesn't drown, and make sure he eats and drinks!!

This is what I would do! I would not cull, but I would not use him/her as a breeder. Just as a sweet pet!!

 

[nhnanna]

I agree, try the vitamins for a few days and make sure it eats and drinks. It might have hurt its little neck and needs time for it to heal. It's worth the try. Good luck.

 

[riqui1]

I noticed, when he put his head down between his legs, that one of the primary things that he was doing was rubbing his eyes, even scratching at them. From keeping his head down so much, he was getting the feed in them. I cleaned them out many times over the course of the day, even having to squirt a bit of saline on them one time, as the stuff was dried right in his little eyes. After that time, I put him in a small container, inside the brooder. After a little while, I had my son take him out and try to get him to eat and drink and he did take a little.

Just a little bit ago, we took him out of the container and let him loose inside the brooder, as we had just taken the paper towels off of the floor. While he was still standing with his head down, he didn't roll up into a little ball. Not until he put his head down and got a piece of the bedding in his eye; then he went right back into the rolling.

I can lift his head and he doesn't seem to be in any "significant" pain. He jerks his head away from me and tucks it back down. To me, this should be a good thing. He has control of his head, to some degree, at the very least. Maybe it is just a muscular thing.

I wasn't able to make it down to get the vitamins tonight, unfortunately. We will nurse him throughout the day tomorrow and try to keep him still (ha ha). Then I will get the vitamins tomorrow.

How shall I get the vitamins to them/him? He takes water off of your hand, so should I just put a little on my hand and see if I can get him to take it that way? They have a large 1-gallon water container in the brooder. I have no clue how much to give them, either way! lol

Thank you to everyone for your help with this - especially the encouragement that it could pass, just being something "simple." While the idea that he wasn't going to make it did cross my mind, he is just too darn cute to have to do something like that myself!!

 

[debakadeb]

He almost acts as if s/he can't see. Poor thing. I wouldn't be able to cull him, myself. I sure hope s/he pulls through.

 

[vfem]

Ok... I had a silkie do this!!! In fact, I had a video on youtube of it!!!!

No one would help me when I posted it, and I just kept freaking out about it!!!

Honestly, I get 'him' some yogurt with his regular feed and after about 3 days 'he' stopped!!

Its the only chick I've ever had do that, now he's my one and only rooster. I think it will be fine... so don't worry about the weird little head between the legs dance.

 

[calgal98]

I have used some antibiotic (injectable) to put a drop or two in an eye that was a bit nasty. It worked well (I used a pen-g). I would wipe his/her eyes a couple=three times a day and apply the pen once a day. Try the vitamins. I'm pretty tough with my stock. They have to be healthy and go well from the get go or I don't cut them much slack. I pretty much subscribe to the thought/belief that its survival of the fittest. I want stock that will be easy to raise and reproduce so the ones that are difficult to get going aren't *the fittest* by my definitions. Of course not everyone is trying to be self-sustaining or organic and I can appreciate that. Good luck with your little one. Hope you find an answer that works. V.

 

[catwalk]

Wow, lots of good news being posted! please keep us updated as to how the little guy is getting along.

 

[patyrdz]

Get the yogurt like vfem said and put three dropps of the vitamins in it. Make sure it is plain yogurt and the vitamins do not have iron. If he wont eat it, mix it with a little feed and he should eat it ok. When I went to get the vitamins they only had with iron in the baby section, but I went to the vitamin section and lo and behold there was the no iron one!!YAY!!! Keep us posted!!