Please Help! My Rooster Is Tilting His Head To 1 Side! HELP!

[roostersandhens]

Hi,
I have a Cochin X Barred Rock rooster. He is holding tilting his head to the left side. I went to put his flock away after free - ranging, and he was in a corner on the ground. All his hens were on their perches as always. He free ranges all day and goes in the coop at night. 1 other mature rooster free ranges with him and 2 maturing roosters. He was fine yesterday. I think he is in pain too. He keeps holding his head to the left side. I really love this rooster, as I love all my chickens PLEASE HELP! I will take any advice or ideas. I will do anything, I just want him to be okay! I often take my chickens to the vet. How worried should I be? Is he going to be fine? He is acting so weird. He is with his 8 hens, should I separate him from the rest of the flock? Please help.
Thanks SO much!


This is Oreo while he was fine. He IS HEALTHY and fine in this picture:

I will try to take a picture of him tilting his head if he isn't better by morning and I can get a pic.
Thanks Again!

 

[Eggcessive]

He may have wry neck or crook neck which can occur after an injury to the head, from a vitamin deficiency, or from a disease such as Mareks or Newcastles. I would start him on vitamins daily in the water, or give him Vitamin E capsules daily. He needs to rest in a cage, but I'm afraid you might not want to take him out of the flock due to pecking order problems, so keep his cage in the coop or run with the others. Here are 2 links with info: http://oureggbasket.blogspot.com
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck

 

[roostersandhens]

He may have wry neck or crook neck which can occur after an injury to the head, from a vitamin deficiency, or from a disease such as Mareks or Newcastles. I would start him on vitamins daily in the water, or give him Vitamin E capsules daily. He needs to rest in a cage, but I'm afraid you might not want to take him out of the flock due to pecking order problems, so keep his cage in the coop or run with the others. Here are 2 links with info: http://oureggbasket.blogspot.com
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck

Thanks so much! This helps a lot! If anyone else has ideas I would appreciate it.

 

[Lora Indy]

Oreo is a very handsome roo and I hope he feels better soon.

I have a hen that is being treated for an inner ear infection that started out much like Oreo. I thought it was wry neck at first but she didn't respond to vitamins. She actually got quite a bit worse very quickly, couldn't keep her head up or level at all.

I managed to find a vet that loves chickens

and she prescribed a 2 week course of antibiotics. Bobbi is about 5 days into the antibiotics and showing huge improvements.

She may always have a bit of a tip to her head but is expected to recover in full.

Lora

 

[Lora Indy]

Oh,also, Bobbi had no outward sign of an ear infection. There was no swelling to her face or head, nothing visible in her outer ear canal.

The vet did also tell me that adult chickens that show wry neck symptoms aren't vitamin deficient. That is a problem of chicks that had poor nutrition in the egg.
Wry neck in an adult bird is a symptom of another problem, ie ear infection, injury, Marecks or another infection.


Lora

 

[roostersandhens]

Thanks! Do you know if you can just use regular dog or cat medicine if it's a chicken ear infection? Because, I have 2 dogs who always get ear infections, so I have that stuff. Thanks again that helped a lot! I am about to go lety my flock out, I will check on Oreo!
Thanks again!

 

[roostersandhens]

I just went to check on him, he is crowing which I assume is a good sign. He is still tilting his head.

 

[redrooster99]

i hope your rooster gets better

 

[Lora Indy]

The antibiotics will need to come from your vet. Bobbi is taking SMZ 240mg, .6ml twice a day for 2 weeks .It may take a second course to get it totally gone.

I'm all too familiar with ear infections in dogs. We have working dogs and they are rather prone to them. It can be a miserably long process to clear them up. Antihistamines help but we have to stay vigilant.

I hope Oreo is better soon, the vet can sort it all out and decide what he needs.

Time to make pies, good luck, Lora

 

[roostersandhens]

The antibiotics will need to come from your vet. Bobbi is taking SMZ 240mg, .6ml twice a day for 2 weeks .It may take a second course to get it totally gone.

I'm all too familiar with ear infections in dogs. We have working dogs and they are rather prone to them. It can be a miserably long process to clear them up. Antihistamines help but we have to stay vigilant.

I hope Oreo is better soon, the vet can sort it all out and decide what he needs.

Time to make pies, good luck, Lora

My mom is a vet, so I can ask her to get him medicine. I am probably just going to take him to the exotic animal clinic near my house, they often look at my sick chickens.
Thanks again!