PLS HELP!!! Hen cant control her head or keep it up right PLS HELP!!!!!!!!!!

[leadwolf1]

I don't know what to say. I would probably euthanize and have a necropsy done so that I would know exactly what is going on.

 

[n8ivetxn]

Last Friday I came home from work (early, thank God) and went to check on the birds. I spot something lying on the ground. It was my littlest SF roo, at 10 weeks he’s a bit under-developed. I thought he was dead, but when he heard me he cheeped. He was lying on his right side with his toes/feet curled up and his neck twisted around – I couldn’t even see it. I got him inside and examined him. No blood or injuries, no balance/uncoordinated, head flopping around – no bodily control at all. I got out a syringe and gave him oral electrolytes (he drank a bit) and I tried to get something – anything, through the syringe – ended up being a piece of bread mashed up in some yogurt (he was hungry). Taking a pot-shot (I had nothing to lose) I gave him an oral antibiotic, enrofloxacin, from a previous animal illness. I couldn’t do anything more that night, so I put him in a cardboard box and propped him in the upright position and covered it with a heating pad on low. I expected that to be the end.
However, in the morning he was still alive! I repeated the feeding (with a syringe) and antibiotic – he seemed hungry. He had 2 bowel movements during the night – firm and normal looking, for a bird. Still couldn’t sit upright, just topples over forward or backward, can’t stand, can’t hold his head up (wry neck?). The only livestock vet in the county is open a ½ day on Saturday, I called them asking for a broad spectrum antibiotic.
3 hrs later the vet returns my call. She tells me she doesn’t know avian medicine, but she has had success with Baytril on a couple of occasions. I broke out the kitchen scale and weighed the bird. She makes up the injection and I’m on my way – bird in my lap, fecal in a bag. They ran the fecal and tell me it’s positive for Cocci –weird, the chick is on medicated starter – no other virus or bacteria present. The Vet tells me the bird could be malnourished and vitamin deficient. – I have 4 feeders and water points spread throughout the coop and run, they get crushed kelp in their feed and liquid vitamins in the water, free range during the day – and this little guy can’t get enough??? I was absolutely crushed. – She said in vet school they teach that most avian problems are nutrition oriented, if a bird is sick, it’s usually dead before you have a chance to treat it. Right then I started him on 5 days of Baytril injections and a daily dose of Albon (for Cocci).
I spent all weekend feeding him as much as he could stuff away, keeping him warm and dry. During the day I put him outside for a little sun and air. A couple times a day I’d hold him up on his feet and put a little weight on them, rub his little legs and move him around some (…. All he could do on his own was flop around). He would greet me every time I walked by! At the end of day 2 he was able to eat and drink on his own (thank God!), but his head was very shaky and weak. He could sit up on his own, without toppling over. He was trying to stand, didn’t work very well….Day 3, he could walk a little, still falling around, having trouble with balance/coordination. – After 5 days of antibiotics and all he could eat and drink, I can tell he’s gained a little weight, but he’s still having trouble with the balance/coordination. I think it’s slowly getting better….
Has anyone experienced anything like this before? Was the vet right? Or is there something else? – None of my other birds are having trouble, nor have they ever. – I’m sending her a “thank you” card. I hope this story helps you identify it.....

 

[leadwolf1]

It is my understanding that Albon only treats a couple of strains of coccidia and in order to be sure that you have killed the coccidia, you need to treat with Corid.

Medicated feed only helps in the prevention of Coccidiosis. If the coccidia level is high enough, the chick will still get coccidiosis.

Since coccidia attacks the intestines, it stands to reason that even though you provide the chicks with plenty of food, the chick would not be able to digest and utilize its food to the fullest. This is the same way many parasites work.

Since he was sick, he could be vitamin deficient at this point. I would give him .25 mls of poly vi sol daily and 100 ius of vitamin E daily. Plus, I would find and give probiotics in order to rebuild the good bacteria in his intestines.

 

[n8ivetxn]

Thank you very much, I appreciate the information. I really need this chick to make a good recovery, even though he's under-developed, I may need him in the future.....

 

[Suzierd]

Get the poly vi sol with out iron.

 

[trifecta]

Last Friday I came home from work (early, thank God) and went to check on the birds. I spot something lying on the ground. It was my littlest SF roo, at 10 weeks he’s a bit under-developed. I thought he was dead, but when he heard me he cheeped. He was lying on his right side with his toes/feet curled up and his neck twisted around – I couldn’t even see it. I got him inside and examined him. No blood or injuries, no balance/uncoordinated, head flopping around – no bodily control at all. I got out a syringe and gave him oral electrolytes (he drank a bit) and I tried to get something – anything, through the syringe – ended up being a piece of bread mashed up in some yogurt (he was hungry). Taking a pot-shot (I had nothing to lose) I gave him an oral antibiotic, enrofloxacin, from a previous animal illness. I couldn’t do anything more that night, so I put him in a cardboard box and propped him in the upright position and covered it with a heating pad on low. I expected that to be the end.
However, in the morning he was still alive! I repeated the feeding (with a syringe) and antibiotic – he seemed hungry. He had 2 bowel movements during the night – firm and normal looking, for a bird. Still couldn’t sit upright, just topples over forward or backward, can’t stand, can’t hold his head up (wry neck?). The only livestock vet in the county is open a ½ day on Saturday, I called them asking for a broad spectrum antibiotic.
3 hrs later the vet returns my call. She tells me she doesn’t know avian medicine, but she has had success with Baytril on a couple of occasions. I broke out the kitchen scale and weighed the bird. She makes up the injection and I’m on my way – bird in my lap, fecal in a bag. They ran the fecal and tell me it’s positive for Cocci –weird, the chick is on medicated starter – no other virus or bacteria present. The Vet tells me the bird could be malnourished and vitamin deficient. – I have 4 feeders and water points spread throughout the coop and run, they get crushed kelp in their feed and liquid vitamins in the water, free range during the day – and this little guy can’t get enough??? I was absolutely crushed. – She said in vet school they teach that most avian problems are nutrition oriented, if a bird is sick, it’s usually dead before you have a chance to treat it. Right then I started him on 5 days of Baytril injections and a daily dose of Albon (for Cocci).
I spent all weekend feeding him as much as he could stuff away, keeping him warm and dry. During the day I put him outside for a little sun and air. A couple times a day I’d hold him up on his feet and put a little weight on them, rub his little legs and move him around some (…. All he could do on his own was flop around). He would greet me every time I walked by! At the end of day 2 he was able to eat and drink on his own (thank God!), but his head was very shaky and weak. He could sit up on his own, without toppling over. He was trying to stand, didn’t work very well….Day 3, he could walk a little, still falling around, having trouble with balance/coordination. – After 5 days of antibiotics and all he could eat and drink, I can tell he’s gained a little weight, but he’s still having trouble with the balance/coordination. I think it’s slowly getting better….
Has anyone experienced anything like this before? Was the vet right? Or is there something else? – None of my other birds are having trouble, nor have they ever. – I’m sending her a “thank you” card. I hope this story helps you identify it.....

I think your chicken has botulism, especially if he is improving on antibiotics. Do you eat eggs or meat from your chickens? Baytril is a restricted antibiotic in food animals. Not personally what I would have chosen for a variety of reasons- and not something that I would just administer at home without having the birds seen in the future. You'd have a hard time finding a withdrawl time for either, and its fairly extended withdrawl time in cattle (21d off the top of my head, but don't quote me on that... I'd have to look it up!)

I think what the OP is describing is either Botulism (limber neck), Marek's, or Newcastle dz. Unfortunately the later are often poo-poo'd as commercial industry diseases but they are on the rise in back yard flocks as well. If that's the case, other birds in the flock will most likely become ill with time. Botulism is picked up from the soil, so theoretically you will see situations where just a few isolated birds are affected.

I wish you the best of luck with your hen. In all seriousness, you may want to consider having her euthanized and necropsied for the sake of your remaining birds... I know she's your favorite, but her sacrifice may very well save the others.

 

[ValleyPoultryFarms]

Seperate her immediately. Place her in a cage with a fan (if its warm) Or line the bottom with a blanket if its cold.
do what you said, (Electrolyte water) and feed her baby chick food if you have that. (Its easier on her gizzard and crop)
Yogurt is great to get her to eat something nutritious (dannon works fine, organic preferred)
As far as her neck goes, there are multiple things that could be wrong. She could be cold, (shivers) Distracted, (Flash cameras can cause seizures)
heat stroke (Treatment- cool her down) or many others.
keep her under surveillance and feel free to message me with any questions dear.

 

[chickenbuttsowhat]

i believe ur right she has all the signs of botulism just dont know how she caught it dont give them old food and clean coops every morning when its cool she might been drinking out of the ducks pool cuz im not able to clean them out everyother day like i used to cuz of the water drought

 

[chickenbuttsowhat]

i believe ur right she has all the signs of botulism just dont know how she caught it dont give them old food and clean coops every morning when its cool she might been drinking out of the ducks pool cuz im not able to clean them out everyother day like i used to cuz of the water drought

 

[chickenbuttsowhat]

where can i get Antitoxins at other then the vet that i could give her??