NEWBIE! NEED HELP! Wry Neck in 6 week old???

[NotTheMomma]

I contacted Va. Tech's poultry division and she said it could be from the Mereck's vaccine. I dunno. Eeyore is still flying, running eating, drinking, pooping, but doesn't perch like the rest of the flock does. I'm hoping the vitamins help her but I'm not really optomistic at this point.

 

[dlhunicorn]

many things can be involved with this symptom... anything (and there are many) which effects the nervous system will result in this symptom to one degree or another .
here is a link to several articles on "wry"neck / "crook"neck which will help you sort things out perhaps and understand the symptom better:
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=emergencies&action=display&num=1160928615
(in the nutrition and toxicity section of the library are more articles including some more specifically on vit E and selenium >>> ATTN: when giving large mega doses of vit E (anything over 600 IU in one day to a chick) they are unable to absorb it without selenium > selenium has a very narrow therapeutic range (so toxicity can occur easily) and is also retained ("too" much is not expelled from the system) so be very careful on the dosage ( too much will cause the exact symptom you are treating for). Vit A (present in the polyvisol) is also retained and too much will hamper absorption of the vit E so it is better to use avia charge after a week of polyvisol (useful if other deficiencies are present).
Avia Charge is a balanced comlete general supplement which also has a wee bit of selenium and is a good supplement to ensure no deficiencies or treating long term > neurological damage can often take a couple months to recover from.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Thank you dlhunicorn, I have your page bookmarked and refer to it quite often for things. Very good stuff. I believe you are the one I learned about Avia Charge from last year. I use it all the time.

Notthemomma, my Ava doesn't perch right now either but I'm pretty sure it's because she still feels a bit unbalanced. I have her a small block of wood on the floor of the brooder that she loves to be on. From what I've experienced so far, it is a slow process. I hope you see some improvement.

 

[espressola]

I was not able to get any selenium but looked up good food sources of selenium and brazil nuts came out WAY ahead of anything else... I have some in the freezer so I chopped them up finely and put them in the mash I feed with the Vitamin E dose. I am giving two doses of the brazil nut/Vitamin E oil capsules daily and two of the Poly-Vi-Sol, spread apart as much as possible, with two more feedings. She seems to be doing better, not as frantic and her head, while bowed down still, is not tucked all the way underneath her. I hope we have good results, she is a sweet girl! I put her in the plastic brooder on the wire grating above the rest of the chicks so they can hear and see one another... Wish me luck!
Patty N. ;-)

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Much luck Patty! It sounds like she is already doing better. It is a slow process but I think good results can come from it. I will keep that in mind about brazil nuts. My little Ava is getting a lot better because she fights all her vitamins now, lol and only tucks her head when I want to give them to her. She is a little spoiled brat

She cocks her head and gives me those chicken eyes which just melt me. She still gets the vitamins though

 

[dlhunicorn]

Quote:
WALMART (or similar) has a combination geltab (human and not pet dept) with vitE AND selenium (fairly cheap one too) ... this (type) is what I have on hand (just check and make sure the amount of selenium per tab does not exceed 50 MICROgrams of the selenium) ... just open the gel tab and squeeze out the contents.

WARNING: there are horse supplements (feed store) with selenium > do NOT use these as you cant possibly reduce to a small enough quantity

Adding wheatgermoil thru their feed is an easy management for avoiding vit A and selenium deficiency without worrying about excess selenium.

 

[espressola]

Thank you, unicorn.. I'll look for that when I get out this week... I have never seen it with the selenium, but that makes a lot of sense for them to make it that way... and I'll look for the wheat germ oil to keep on hand too...
Patty N. ;-)

 

[NotTheMomma]

I have a jar of wheat germ. Will that work the same as wheat germ oil?

 

[dlhunicorn]

The reason I suggest the oil is that it will cling to the feed (thus not wasted as the bran might be)... when giving the bran dont let them pig out on it.

 

[ZooMummzy]

I hope everyone's wry neck chicks are doing well? Just thought I'd check in again and also let everyone know my little Ava is 100% cured

These are photos of her outside yesterday for the first time. She is roosting again and never curls her head down anymore. She doesn't even hold it at a funny angle like she used to. All my birds are on Avia Charge so hopefully that will be enough for her so she will never have to experience this nasty problem again!

Sunbathing, lol

Meeting the flock...safely, lol