POORLY BANTAM- DON'T GIVE UP

[CarolyneT]

Three weeks ago our 12 week old Bantam, got very sleepy and lethargic, only eating and drinking very little. That night she passed away The week after that another Bantam, got sick. Her head was hanging down, she couldn’t stand and her eyes were twitching. I took her to the vets and Marek’s was suspected. The vet said it was definitely neurological, and we had her put to sleep.  Last Saturday out Leg Horn’s head started hanging down. Over the day it got worse, and she couldn’t stand. We took her away from the others and started her on hypericum, as apparently it is the only treatment that may possibly help Marek’s, which is normally fatal. We fed her scrambled egg straight into her mouth and gave her Hypericum / mineral water solution by syringe. We also gave her water by syringe. Her head was actually twisting all the way round and her beak resting on the ground There wasn’t much improvement so I also started her on Vitamin’s E and B and Selium , in case it was crook / wry neck. I also gave her fish oil from a capsule, as this is a natural steroid. By Tuesday we took her off scrambled egg and gave her moistened Chick Crumble, which she ate herself while we held her and supported her neck. She was back on her feet, could use her wings, her poop was normal and she was very alert. Until then we had her in a cardboard box in the shed, but she was now getting out and so my husband made her a hutch. I was feeding her about 5 times a day (5am, 8am, 12pm, 5pm and 7pm), and still giving her Hypericum, Vitamin’s E and B ,Selium, and fish oil Wednesday morning she could hold her head up on her own to eat, and walk around. Yesterday I fed her at 5pm and then let her wander in the garden, we also let the other Bantams out with her. She was pecking at the ground, preening and had a dust bath She got into the run when the other Bantams went in, and was furious when my husband took her out and put her in her hutch. This morning she was having none of it. I managed to give her, her meds and then she flew over to the Bantam run, making a huge din and trying to get in. So she is back in with her friends now; her neck is still a bit crooked, maybe it will straighten, maybe it won’t, either way it doesn’t bother her. I will continue to give her Vitamin’s E and B ,Selium, and fish oil for a while, but I have everything crossed that she will now live a long, happy and healthy life 

 

[realsis]

I just nursed one of my own back to health with wry neck and a week ago another of my flock came down with it! I'm currently nursing her right now. here is what I did and had great success with my first bird doing the same now on my second. Its called the Alan Stanford treatment for wry neck. Basically it consists of giving vitaminE capsules and selenium to help absorb the vitamin and vitamin and liquid children's vitamin without iron called polyvisol. then I use predinsone for the brain swelling. To get exact doses you can look on Alan Stanford's web site browmeggblueegg.com go to his glossery and click on crock neck. It gives a precise schedule and doses for everything. It worked very successfully on my first bird and you would never know she had wry neck! I'm praying it will be equally as successful on the bird I'm treating now. When using the predinsone you have to ween them off slowly .it can't be abruptly stopped. I just wanted to share my treatment for wry neck also. I'm so glad your bird is better! Hope this treatment might help someone else dealing with wry neck! Wry neck takes patience but luckily it can be cured! Hope your bird continues to recover and Thank you for sharing your success story
God bless

 

[CarolyneT]

Thank you, you too. Unfortunately we can not get predinsone in the UK, without a prescription

You say this is your second bird with it? I wonder if that is also what my previous Bantam had

I thought it was due to vitamin efficiency or hereditary, although all my birds get good quality food etc.

Is it contagious?

 

[realsis]

No its not contagious! I believe in my cases its nutritional.although I have been using supplements I was lacking in vitamin E. It does seem strange that both my birds had it in the same month! Actually just after my first got cured the very next morning my lead hen got it! I'm still treating her