Rooster walking crouched with head down

[Deerling]

This afternoon when I let our chickens out I noticed one of our roosters (we have two others, they all get along, never had any fights I know of) walking low to the ground with his head out in front of him. He sometimes stops and lays down or puts one wing out like he is off balance, but he also will stand straight up and look normal at times. He doesn't show any signs of flesh wounds. Is this an injury? If so what should I do?

Thanks

 

[dawg53]

I would bet that he got into a scrap with the other roos...one of them has to be top dawg.

 

[Eggcessive]

This sounds a bit like wry neck which can be a disease symptom, a vitamin deficiency, or from a head or neck injury from what I have read about it. I have no experience with this but would recommend that you get some PolyVisol (no iron) baby vitamins, Vitamin E, and selenium and start using them to try to treat him. There are tons of posts about this if you type in "Wry neck treatment" in the search at the top of the page. Here is a link to one thread to read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck

 

[Eggcessive]

I would bet that he got into a scrap with the other roos...one of them has to be top dawg.

Hi Dawg! I hadn't thought of that! That would be a much simpler solution. LOL. I had a couple of fellows going at it today--one 5 month old guy had jumped the fence from his bachelor pen and the old man let him know he wasn't welcome anymore.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:

Hi Dawg! I hadn't thought of that! That would be a much simpler solution. LOL. I had a couple of fellows going at it today--one 5 month old guy had jumped the fence from his bachelor pen and the old man let him know he wasn't welcome anymore.

I've had it happen too lol.

 

[Deerling]

Thank you both!! I have definitely heard of Wry Neck, I just had always heard of the chickens holding their head upside down, so I wasn't sure if it would be the same thing. I'll start treating him for Wry Neck.

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know how he progresses. Hope you can get him back to normal.

 

[realsis]

I've had two very severe cases of wry neck all within a month. Both cases are healed now. first case is 100% back to normal.2nd case is still in treatment but she is already 97% back to normal.both cases took around three weeks to get them cured. I used Alan Stanford's treatment for wry neck which basically consists of vitamin E capsules selenium so they can process the E. Vitamin B polyvisol liquid children's vitamin without iron and predinsone. Then in there water I would give a vitamin supplement of A D E And B. This treatment works very successfully. Ihope your bird gets better really soon! Don't loose hope. As i mentioned recovery is around three weeks have patience and I'm sure he will recovery nicely..