One of our 4 silkie chicks makes odd head motion, is this normal?

[mishnwade]

Hi all, we are 1st time chicken owners & have 4 silkies who are almost 2 months old, 2 Ameraucanas (sp?) who are 2 months old & 2 Buff Orphingtons who are 2 months old.

One of our silkies, the buff one named Cutie, acts normal all the rest of the time but last month we noticed she (or he) would move their neck in a jerking, rolling, then shaking motion almost like humans do when we have water in our ear. Of course this happens a number of times throughout the day, then Cutie acts normal like all the other hopefully hens.

Cutie eats well, on medicated feed but has had time outside to eat dirt, bugs, weeds, & flowers. Has a ton of energy, sleeps in a heap of chickens when they take naps or sleep for the night. But still has this weird motion of her head & no one else is doing it.

Here are pictures from a month ago of Cutie:





Here are pictures from today. Again Cutie looks like all the other chickens other than the odd "head bob" wiggling motion..almost seems like there is water in her ear or an itch.










I looked up wry neck & this doesn't look the same...is maybe this motion the beginning of it? Would it last over a month?

Any help or advice will be welcome!

Thank you,
Mishelle

 

[arsenalfun]

I have a chicken that makes a odd head motion as well (I don't know if is it same) but the chicken is fine, so I don't think it's anything dangerous

 

[mishnwade]

Thanks for your input! We feel so bad for her stopping what she is doing to wriggle her head around for a bit throughout the day.

Going to hope for the best that she will out grow it or just be our special one

 

[Eggcessive]

I think a lot of chickens do this. My polish chicks did it a lot when they started being out on grass. I thought they were getting mites. Some say they shake their heads when feathers are growing in, but who knows. Just make sure nothing is on her I guess.

 

[Urchin]

I had a silkie start doing this at three weeks old. It had just started getting a few longer feathers along its beard. A couple of them had grown up and were touching its eyeball. Once I clipped that back, there's been less head shaking. You might want to check to make sure she doesn't have a stray wispy feather or two poking her in the eye. I have a couple of others who constantly shake their heads or wipe their beaks, but are happy, healthy birds.

 

[mishnwade]

I think a lot of chickens do this. My polish chicks did it a lot when they started being out on grass. I thought they were getting mites. Some say they shake their heads when feathers are growing in, but who knows. Just make sure nothing is on her I guess.

Thank you! I will check her to make sure nothing in in her eyes & that no bugs are on her. I'm feeling more relieved that this is a normal thing.

 

[mishnwade]

I had a silkie start doing this at three weeks old. It had just started getting a few longer feathers along its beard. A couple of them had grown up and were touching its eyeball. Once I clipped that back, there's been less head shaking. You might want to check to make sure she doesn't have a stray wispy feather or two poking her in the eye. I have a couple of others who constantly shake their heads or wipe their beaks, but are happy, healthy birds.

Thank you! I'll be checking today to see if I can clip any back. Other than the "head bob" thing she seem healthy & happy! I see them wipe their beaks when they eat a tomato...it's funny when they wipe them on me as I'm holding them.

 

[realsis]

Hi I raise silkies too and I'm actually nursing one with wry neck now I just wanted to tell you the present symptoms of wry neck so you will know what to look for. I do not think your bird has wry neck so do not worry but for the future in wry neck birds they start doing strange things before full blown wry neck hits such as walking in circles and bending the neck in a hook like manner and flaring the feathers on the back of neck. Those are pre symptoms. Hope this helps. Best wishes. Now you know what to look for.

 

[mishnwade]

Hi I raise silkies too and I'm actually nursing one with wry neck now I just wanted to tell you the present symptoms of wry neck so you will know what to look for. I do not think your bird has wry neck so do not worry but for the future in wry neck birds they start doing strange things before full blown wry neck hits such as walking in circles and bending the neck in a hook like manner and flaring the feathers on the back of neck. Those are pre symptoms. Hope this helps. Best wishes. Now you know what to look for.

Oh wow, thank you so much! I'm sorry you are nursing wry neck ;-(

Can you tell me what you are doing for it? Also, how is it working?

Again, thank you!

 

[realsis]

I am nursing the wry neck with vitamin E capsules and a small amount of selenium. I'm also using low dose Bayer baby aspirin and I'm waiting on the arrival of my predinsone pills. They were shipped out Monday. The predinsone comes with specific instructions I will share that with you when it arrives other than that I'm doing the polyvisol children's vitamin without iron vitamin capsules low dose children's aspirin selenium three times a day.I believe the predinsone will only be once a day. She is showing slight improvements as she can eat by herself now as well as drink if I hold up her bowl for her this is a huge improvement from having to syringe feed her! Yesterday she held up her head but the neck still had a hook like shape however this is a improvement. My little silkie had only had this for 5 or 6 days so its still early in treatment. I have hope. Once the predinsone arrives it should really help. I believe this treatment is called the Allen Stanford treatment for wry neck. You can Google it.I think I got that name right? anyway if you need anything please feel free to pm me and I'll help in Any way I can! Even if you just want to talk. I'll help! Hope things are going better for your bird.? Take care and God bless.