Nuerological or something else?

[Shadrach]

Is her crop emptying at night? Could this be why she's doing it at night?

Her crop has been empty the past couple of mornings.

 

[Shadrach]

I forgot to mention something last night that makes this even stranger.
I've tried putting her on a perch in her coop at night. She's okay for a couple of seconds and then her head goes back and she falls off the perch.
But, and this is just so strange, she's one of the pro tree huggers and the night before last she went up a tree with the others and perched on a branch as normal waiting for supper.
When I called them down, she flew down with the others, so she can perch and fly.
I've also seen her perch in a bush during the day.
I'll try to see what she's like today.

 

[Shadrach]

I think I'll try and post a video of Brackets behaviour. It's so extraordinary.
This morning I let everyone out, set their food down and went and got Bracket who was still locked in the position shown in the picture above but at the other end of the pet carrier. I did here her thrash about during the night. Shes a couple of metres from my bed.
I carried Bracket to where the rest of her tribe were eating and set her down. She immediately rolled onto her back, then onto her side and then down one of the steps.
It took a bit over a minute for her to regain her balance and normal posture; about the length of time it takes a broody hen in a trance to stand up and eat when presented with food.
The males, Punch and Mag stood and watched Brackets 'fit' and so did her sister Hinge.
Hinge it seems decided this would be a good time to try to move up the pecking order and she attacked Bracket. Not only did Bracket defend herself, she put Hinge on the run and chased her in full battle order.
Mag intervened and prevented further fighting and off they went to the compost heap looking like a perfectly normal group of chickens.
I don't think this is Wry neck of any form. I think this is some locked on broody behaviour which gets triggered when it's time to roost.
I can't risk putting her in a wire cage. The fits are so uncoordinated that the possibility of her catching a foot in the mesh and breaking a leg are too high. Normally the perching at night with the airflow underneath in a a coop stops the broody drive within a couple of days. This isn't going to happen if she can't perch.

 

[aart]

but I think problem is associated with broodiness.

I wonder if it was lurking and 'blew up' with loss of condition that can happen when a bird is broody...I'm assuming she was setting and not broken?

 

[Eggcessive]

Wry neck is just a name for torticicolis or twisted neck. It is definitely a neurological symptom. Just knowing that she is broody, my guess is that this could just be temporary from her self imposed nutritional deprivation from being broody, and suffering from a vitamin deficiency. Since torticolis can also be a result of a head injury or certain diseases (Mareks, infectious diseases) time will tell if she improves. Since she only has this behavior when she gets ready to roost, there probably is a good chance that she may improve with normal nutrition and the vitamin B1 and E supplements.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The knowledge available here on BYC is .... amazing. I hope your hen recovers, Shad.

 

[Shadrach]

I wonder if it was lurking and 'blew up' with loss of condition that can happen when a bird is broody...I'm assuming she was setting and not broken?

It's possible, and yes she was and still is broody. Not as broody, but still clucking.

 

[Shadrach]

Wry neck is just a name for torticicolis or twisted neck. It is definitely a neurological symptom. Just knowing that she is broody, my guess is that this could just be temporary from her self imposed nutritional deprivation from being broody, and suffering from a vitamin deficiency. Since torticolis can also be a result of a head injury or certain diseases (Mareks, infectious diseases) time will tell if she improves. Since she only has this behavior when she gets ready to roost, there probably is a good chance that she may improve with normal nutrition and the vitamin B1 and E supplements.

Well, she got her first 400 UI dose of vitamin E a while ago. She gets plenty of selenium to process it from forage and a few sunflower seeds.
She's also getting a B vitamin boost from a supplement.
While I can't rule out a dietary deficiency I make sure the broody hens here get well fed, even those that nest away from the coops turn up at one of the feeding points. I provide feed until they decide to return to their nests. Judging by the poop load which normally happens after they've eaten a bit I can at least gauge the volume of food consumed since their last outing. I don't weigh them all, but those I have, put on weight while sitting.
Bracket had only been 'missing' for two nights. If this had been two weeks a deficiency would make more sense assuming I hadn't heard her when she got off the nest and fed her.
I need to find some way to accelerate her switch off broody mode, particularly over night.

 

[Shadrach]

The knowledge available here on BYC is .... amazing. I hope your hen recovers, Shad.

Thank you. So do I. She makes a lot of noise at night and I need my sleep.

 

[AmyJane725]

I need to find some way to accelerate her switch off broody mode, particularly over night.

Are you already doing the normal broody breaking procedure? Minus the wire crate? What is she sleeping in in your room?
Sorry she's acting so weird. I hope the vitamins help.