Need immediate help to save juvenile roo

[Anela]

No real change today. There appears to be a tear between his wattle and his beak that was looking a little gooey so we've put him on antibiotics to head off any infections. He did spend some time outside with us. He tried really hard to stand but just flopped around. He's moving position in his enclosure quite a bit but I'm still keeping his space limited until his mobility improves.

It's only been a little over 72 hours so still hoping for improvement.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thanks for the update. It sounds like he is in very good caring hands. Does he have a twisted neck, off to one side or looking down or up? He may take awhile to get better since he was roughed-up so badly. Is he still eating well? Are you giving him poultry vitamins as well as the electrolytes?

 

[Anela]

He does have a twisted neck - at least it seems like it. His head leans to the left and down. He can pick his head up and look around but when he relaxes it sink back down and to the left.

He's eating great but he's stopped drinking. We've been giving him plenty of fluids with the syringe.

I'm giving him the infant vitamins Kyzmette suggested.

 

[pwand]

Can you post a picture of him with his neck problem?

 

[Anela]

You bet. I'll take a pic of him in the morning and post it.

I hold him and he hangs there like he's dead except his head is moving as he looks at stuff.

He'll be eating and then he goes still, his eyes close and his head sinks. If you give him about 5-10 seconds he'll shake his head like he's waking himself up and then goes right back to eating or whatever else he was doing when he "nodded off".

He seems to find the bathtub fascinating. My oldest daughter holds him while I spray and wash his hind end several times a day (since he can't stand he poops on himself) and his neck hangs down with his head up and twitching back and forth while he checks everything out. He doesn't fight it though. He's perfectly calm. I would have expected him to put up a fight.

 

[pwand]

I wonder if he isn't seeing properly. Take a flashlight to see if his pupils respond to the light. Poor little guy. I hope he comes around.

 

[Kyzmette]

Google wryneck and see if there's any similarity to what you're seeing. If so, this is where the vitamin E and selenium come in.

 

[Eggcessive]

Wry neck or torticollis can happen after a head injury, and also with certain vitamin deficiencies and diseases. Here are a few links for wry neck:
http://oureggbasket.blogspot.com/2013/04/wry-neck-or-crook-neck-understanding-it.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/630079/wry-neck-confused-about-treatment

 

[Anela]

I'm looking at the links and they're very helpful. Thank you. It does seem to be what he has and there's a section on the blog post about Polish being susceptible to it after a good peck in the head. I just wish the people who had him before had known and kept him segregated from the bigger roo. I had a silkie that lived with 4 other roosters that never had a problem, but my roos all got along. Probably because I had so many hens they never felt like they needed to fight. That and they were all hand tame.

Anyway, this morning he was very alert, talking and trying to stand but it didn't last long. He became very lethargic after about 15 minutes and didn't want to eat or drink. We gave him his meds and he perked up a little but we had to hand feed him - as in putting it inside his mouth so he'd swallow it. He ate quite a bit that way. He just didn't want to peck it himself. We did scrambled egg this morning for the protein.

He also had some clear, gooey discharge from the nostril on the side that has the torn wattle and the pecked eye. I took a Q-tip and just kept wrapping the string of goo around it until there wasn't any more. He's on antibiotics so hopefully that will take care of the nasal discharge.

He is opening both eyes now and they are reactive to light.

Here are the pics my son took before we fed him. There's one from each side.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Anela: I've been watching this thread last two days. I don't have much to add as yet. I think you're doing a noble thing here by him. I hope he pulls through. Poor Fella. You seem to be well researched already...and now just sort of a wait and see program. he's so beautiful...I don't blame you trying to save him here. My fingers are crossed and I'm rooting in your corner...