Possible Newcastle case?

[kproffer]

My 4yo black star seemed lethargic for a couple of days, but would get up and act normally at times. Yesterday afternoon I found her laying down with her head twisted upside down. Her vent an head are clean, no signed of lice or other infestation. I would be very surprised if this is wry neck development, my flock eats layer feed throughout the day and gets treats of meal worms, scratch, and black oil sunflower seed in the evening, when they get treats anyway. She’s one of 30, everyone else seems fine at the moment. Her eyes have been mostly closed but when she did opened them there’s a small collection of white bubbles in the corner. I’ve tried to force some water and polyvisol down her but otherwise she won’t eat or drink. Wondering if this is possibly Newcastle disease? Does anyone have experience with it? Treatment? Recovery? What about the rest of my flock?

 

[kproffer]

@Wyorp Rock
I’m at work right now, I’ll get pictures when I get home. Yesterday her crop felt empty and abdomen normal. I have no idea when her last egg was. I have 31 hens (probably 22 laying?) and her egg color is not unique so I don’t keep up. Honestly none of them have been laying as well as I expect. I thought it was due to extreme heat a few weeks ago but it’s only marginally improved since the weather cooled.

She does seem to have labored breathing at times and had the eye discharge I mentioned before. Both seemed somewhat improved this morning, and she has been standing for a few minutes occasionally. No attempt to walk, eat or drink on her own.

They don’t have access to compost. I throw kitchen and garden scraps out to them but nothing moldy, mostly cucumber, tomato and berries lately. They don’t free range anymore since we’ve had foxes move in.

I will pick up the other vitamins after work. Thanks for the dosing.

 

[kproffer]

…So it’s been two weeks… the black spots have cleared up, leaving her with a very pale comb and wattles. The respiratory symptoms are completely resolved. No improvement in the wry neck symptoms though, even with the vitamins. She will stand for short periods and kind of walks slowly in circles but falls backwards if she’s startled. Not sure if that’s just a balance issue because her head is upside down? She will eat and drink a little on her own, but not enough. If it were related to vitamin deficiency should I be seeing improvement by now? Any other suggestions?

 

[Folly's place]

One sick four year old hen is sad, but more than likely her problem, not a flock issue. However, if you find more sick/ dying birds within a few days or a week, it's a big deal, and you will need to have your birds tested at your state veterinary path lab.
Diet wise, layer feed is usually 16% protein, a minimal amount, and adding those treats, except in tiny amounts, mostly adds fat, and generally lowers the protein level even more.
This hen is very very sick, so sorry.
Mary

 

[kproffer]

Bubbly eyes signify a respiratory infection. You might be able to treat with Tylan. The twisted head could very well be wry neck. My broody Silkie suddenly developed this recently. She's 3.5 years old and had never had it before. She responded beautifully to vitamins E and selenium supplementation.

I was trying the polyvisol for the vitamins in case it was just wry neck. That was a suggestion I read elsewhere anyway. I’m very concerned about how dehydrated she’s getting but since forcing the liquids earlier (it was about 1Tbs) she seems to be gurgling with breathing. This is awful

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My 4yo black star seemed lethargic for a couple of days, but would get up and act normally at times. Yesterday afternoon I found her laying down with her head twisted upside down. Her vent an head are clean, no signed of lice or other infestation. I would be very surprised if this is wry neck development, my flock eats layer feed throughout the day and gets treats of meal worms, scratch, and black oil sunflower seed in the evening, when they get treats anyway. She’s one of 30, everyone else seems fine at the moment. Her eyes have been mostly closed but when she did opened them there’s a small collection of white bubbles in the corner. I’ve tried to force some water and polyvisol down her but otherwise she won’t eat or drink. Wondering if this is possibly Newcastle disease? Does anyone have experience with it? Treatment? Recovery? What about the rest of my flock?

Photos? Bird, how she's laying down, poop, eyes, etc.

When was her last egg?
Is her crop emptying?
Any bloat or fluid in the abdomen?

Newcastle is a respiratory disease - any respiratory symptoms? Any new birds in the last 30 days with respiratory illness/symptoms?


Torticollis (Wry Neck) is a symptom. Go to Walmart, CVS, etc. and get a bottle of Vitamin E (400IU) and B-Complex. Give her 1 Vitamin E soft gel daily along with 1/4 tablet B-Complex. A bit of egg to help with the uptake of E.

Any chance she ate something moldy, toxic, dead, rotten, compost pile?

She has some dark spots on her comb and wattles but I can’t tell if it soil from having her head on the ground or something else. She gets very agitated when I try to touch her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

…So it’s been two weeks… the black spots have cleared up, leaving her with a very pale comb and wattles. The respiratory symptoms are completely resolved. No improvement in the wry neck symptoms though, even with the vitamins. She will stand for short periods and kind of walks slowly in circles but falls backwards if she’s startled. Not sure if that’s just a balance issue because her head is upside down? She will eat and drink a little on her own, but not enough. If it were related to vitamin deficiency should I be seeing improvement by now? Any other suggestions?

There's no way to know what has caused the symptom of Wry Neck, whether it's trauma, deficiency or something else.
Vitamin therapy is the only thing I have ever seen recommended as treatment for the symptom to see if subsides, but there is no timeline of when you may see improvement.

It's up to you to decide if you want to continue with therapy and give her more time. If you feel she's not improving, is in pain, quality of life is not that and there's no use continuing on, then putting her down would be a practical step to take. If you do, then getting a necropsy may reveal the initial cause of the symptom(s) you have been dealing with.

 

[kproffer]

Ugh. My gut tells me she would have improved if she were going to, but I’m not sure I have the heart to put her down yet. Thank you for the advice

 

[Folly's place]

I'll never know. Only one chick out of nearly fifty we had at the time, so probably it was just her. If the feed was older, it might have lost some value, and could have made a difference.
I've seen feed six months or older at feed stores, never good.
We considered it a lesson learned, and since then have fresh feed, by mill date. in the original feed bags, in those garbage cans. Dumping it into the can gets 150 pounds in each can, and keeping it in it's bag from the store only holds 100 pounds per can. Worth it, IMO.
Mary

 

[Aunt Angus]

Bubbly eyes signify a respiratory infection. You might be able to treat with Tylan. The twisted head could very well be wry neck. My broody Silkie suddenly developed this recently. She's 3.5 years old and had never had it before. She responded beautifully to vitamins E and selenium supplementation.