Our twisted chicken

[lightchick]

I thought I searched the forum pretty good for information on Merek's and wry neck, but somehow I missed this thread all together, couldn't be the fact that it was the wee hours of the night that I was searching could it, nah. Anyway I started a similar thread yesterday. Am sitting at the vet right now with my crook neck chick. Will tell you what he says when I get home.

Please do. I hope it goes well.

 

[QHnPPcks]

Thanks for asking. She is much better. Trying to teach her now to look down to find her food; so far she targets straight ahead. Her balance has improved and added recommended vitamins and that has helped her appetite.

 

[lightchick]

Thanks for asking. She is much better. Trying to teach her now to look down to find her food; so far she targets straight ahead. Her balance has improved and added recommended vitamins and that has helped her appetite.

I so glad she's better!!! She must be very tough!

 

[QHnPPcks]

Gretl update! She is one tough little one. WooHoo! She is walking now, balancing most of the time; appetite voracious. So many helpful posts and links. Giving combo vitamin ADC, E, and B. Have alternately added egg yolk and tuna to the chick starter (whatever happened to ABDEC drops? Had to buy E and B separately). I preen her every feeding, and she actually tried to scratch her face with her right foot, but fell over.Still hoping for full recovery; know we have to be patient! Seems she only puts her head in the "twisted neck" position right after feeding - is she just falling asleep? Thanks again for this super helpful group. Will post a pic when I figure out how to do it!

 

[Barbwire]

I promised to report back on what the vet said about our little crook neck chick. Sorry it has taken me so long, things have been a bit crazy at my house lately. Anyway.....
6/29 all our chicks were fine
Last Monday 6/30 got up and our little one to two week old silkie chick Big Bird was standing on her head. Head straight down between her legs, could not walk except to scoot backwards, would tumble and flip on her back. Could not get online here, took her to a vet recommended by local birders.

Vet could not say 100% was Marek's explained to us the Marek;s virus keeps mutating, some strains are more deadly than others. Once a chicken catches one strain of the virus is can not catch another version. Kind of like Chicken pox in humans, once we catch it, the anti-bodies are in our blood and we can not catch it again. Every single chicken on the planet catches some form of Marek's Disease, the idea is to inoculate the chicks with a mild form that will not harm them but will give them the antibodies. If not inoculated the chicken will eventually catch some mutation of Marek's either as a chick or as an adult. If it is a less deadly version and they are strong enough to survive it they become immune to all the other mutations of the virus. If your flock has a particularly nasty strain of the virus, your chicks may die b4 you even have a chance to vaccinate them. If your flock has a mild form you might not even know the chicks had the disease and may not need to vaccinate at all.
Marek's causes the crooked neck because it effects the birds nervous system, however other conditions cause this as well, nutritional deficiencies, kinked or injured neck or spine, unlucky peck to the head which causes brain damage(more common in silkies he said) or a neurological disorder. He explained regardless of the cause most birds die from dehydration and starvation before the virus runs it course, because the crooked neck prevents them from eating and drinking, So is up to us to keep them hydrated and make it easier for them to eat.

Although it had eaten and drank well the day before, our chick was definitely dehydrated. The vet hydrated her for us and sent us home with Metcam Oral suspension to be administered every 12 hours. Along with the medicine, we have been giving her about 1 mg of this vitamin mix: 2 TBS pedialyte, 2 drops poly-vi-sol (no iron), 1/4 tablet selenium crushed and 1/2 soft cap of vit E all mixed together (Got this recipe from The Egg Farm, Thanks for blogging it Egg Farm)

Monday 6/30 visit vet,($91) rehydrated, start meds and vitamins
Tuesday 7/1 no change but not worse either, back to vet for hydration (no charge this time) keep feeding meds and vitamins
Weds 7/2 chick stronger holds her head up straight for a few seconds at a time, will take up to 3 steps forward, able to eat on her own, back to vet for hydration (again no charge) keep up with meds/vits 2x daily
Thursday 7/3 much better almost normal but tumbles occasionally, meds/vits 2x daily
Friday 7/4 Big Bird looks happy & healthy put her back in with other chicks keep up with meds & vits
Saturday 7/5 relapse back to square one head between legs can not walk forward, keep up with meds and vites
Sunday 7/6 mostly upright again but will fall sometimes when bends to peck at food, keep up with meds/vites
Monday 7/7 one week later still alive much stronger not thru the woods yet but I have hope for her
is looking normal today, very strong voice, trying to fly with other chicks, very defiant when I try to give her meds/vites will keep going with same regimen until meds are gone will keep giving vitamins until feel she is 100% OK

At vets suggestion have been weighing her every time we dose her and this has been very helpful to show us she is growing and not wasting away.

**So glad your babies are doing better

 

[QHnPPcks]

Hi Barbwire,
Great update. Glad to hear your baby is making progress.

Our Gretl is doing well albeit slowly. She is only about half the size of her flockmates, but making tiny weight gains every day.

Her appetite is so voracious; we have taken to calling her Godzilla at mealtimes.

Took her outside for the first time today. She toddles along and tires very quickly. Her "sister" attacked her and I shooed her away; then the others checked her out and were curious but not aggressive. She most likely won't rejoin the flock, but I believe it is good now to give her a little time outside
every day.

Our little sickies are a challenge and so rewarding to see them improve!

Best of luck!

 

[jgoldy2]

give her molasses and she has rye neck the only reason that I know that is because I have a rooster with rye neck also treatment should not be to costly.

 

[jgoldy2]

oh great then only read my post for more nollage

 

[lightchick]

I promised to report back on what the vet said about our little crook neck chick. Sorry it has taken me so long, things have been a bit crazy at my house lately. Anyway.....
6/29 all our chicks were fine
Last Monday 6/30 got up and our little one to two week old silkie chick Big Bird was standing on her head. Head straight down between her legs, could not walk except to scoot backwards, would tumble and flip on her back. Could not get online here, took her to a vet recommended by local birders.

Vet could not say 100% was Marek's explained to us the Marek;s virus keeps mutating, some strains are more deadly than others. Once a chicken catches one strain of the virus is can not catch another version. Kind of like Chicken pox in humans, once we catch it, the anti-bodies are in our blood and we can not catch it again. Every single chicken on the planet catches some form of Marek's Disease, the idea is to inoculate the chicks with a mild form that will not harm them but will give them the antibodies. If not inoculated the chicken will eventually catch some mutation of Marek's either as a chick or as an adult. If it is a less deadly version and they are strong enough to survive it they become immune to all the other mutations of the virus. If your flock has a particularly nasty strain of the virus, your chicks may die b4 you even have a chance to vaccinate them. If your flock has a mild form you might not even know the chicks had the disease and may not need to vaccinate at all.
Marek's causes the crooked neck because it effects the birds nervous system, however other conditions cause this as well, nutritional deficiencies, kinked or injured neck or spine, unlucky peck to the head which causes brain damage(more common in silkies he said) or a neurological disorder. He explained regardless of the cause most birds die from dehydration and starvation before the virus runs it course, because the crooked neck prevents them from eating and drinking, So is up to us to keep them hydrated and make it easier for them to eat.

Although it had eaten and drank well the day before, our chick was definitely dehydrated. The vet hydrated her for us and sent us home with Metcam Oral suspension to be administered every 12 hours. Along with the medicine, we have been giving her about 1 mg of this vitamin mix: 2 TBS pedialyte, 2 drops poly-vi-sol (no iron), 1/4 tablet selenium crushed and 1/2 soft cap of vit E all mixed together (Got this recipe from The Egg Farm, Thanks for blogging it Egg Farm)

Monday 6/30 visit vet,($91) rehydrated, start meds and vitamins
Tuesday 7/1 no change but not worse either, back to vet for hydration (no charge this time) keep feeding meds and vitamins
Weds 7/2 chick stronger holds her head up straight for a few seconds at a time, will take up to 3 steps forward, able to eat on her own, back to vet for hydration (again no charge) keep up with meds/vits 2x daily
Thursday 7/3 much better almost normal but tumbles occasionally, meds/vits 2x daily
Friday 7/4 Big Bird looks happy & healthy put her back in with other chicks keep up with meds & vits
Saturday 7/5 relapse back to square one head between legs can not walk forward, keep up with meds and vites
Sunday 7/6 mostly upright again but will fall sometimes when bends to peck at food, keep up with meds/vites
Monday 7/7 one week later still alive much stronger not thru the woods yet but I have hope for her
is looking normal today, very strong voice, trying to fly with other chicks, very defiant when I try to give her meds/vites will keep going with same regimen until meds are gone will keep giving vitamins until feel she is 100% OK

At vets suggestion have been weighing her every time we dose her and this has been very helpful to show us she is growing and not wasting away.

**So glad your babies are doing better

So glad your chick is doing better!

 

[Barbwire]

I am lucky enough to have a digital scale, You are right about the small weight gains, when she first got sick Big Bird weighed less than an ounce now she is almost 3 ounces. Every time I look in on the chicks Big Bird is eating, even when everybody else is sleeping.
We are brooding our chicks inside. When BB first got ill we separated her from the other chicks with a partition in the box. When she started to really get better she started body slamming the partition. Afraid she would hurt herself further if we kept her confined we let her back in with the other chicks. She is about half the size of the others but she can hold her own. And OMG don't stand in her way if there is food involved! She will dive right under the other chicks and take them out like a linebacker if she thinks what they are eating is better than hers. Its hilarious!