Hi, sorry to hear that chick is in trouble. Wryneck is often the result of a thiamine deficency , but the same symptoms can be seen in the case of a head injury. I would recommend a good poultry multi vitamin to be added to the feed on daily basis. Also take a look at your feeding program and remember that any added vitamins and minerals that are in commercial feeds begin to deteriorate after just a few weeks of storage. Silkies don't absorb selenium as well as other breeds so be sure that your supplement also contains selenium. It's also not a good idea to feed silkies food high in corn. Infant drops are ok in case of emergency and often recommended as they are more readily available after hours, but personally I'd prefer to keep a reliable poultry /stock multi vitamin in my first aid as I've found that the birds don't particularly like the infant drops. Hope everyone has had a great Xmas and is looking forward to the new year.i found this on our local chicken chat grp; it lists what certain vitamin def. can cause. b12 is one that looks likely...the infant vitamins have it all:Nutritional Deficiencies:Depending on the degree of malnutrition, either death or physical symptoms will occur. Please refer to the below:
[TR] Nutrient Deficiency Signs: [/TR] [TR] Vitamin A Death at about 48 hours of incubation from failure to develop the circulatory system; abnormalities of kidneys, eyes and skeleton [/TR] [TR] Vitamin D Death at about 18 or 19 days of incubation, with malpositions, soft bones, and with a defective upper beak prominent. Please click on this link for info. [/TR] [TR] Vitamin E Early death at about 84 to 96 hours of incubation, with hemorrhaging and circulatory failure (implicated with selenium). [/TR] [TR] Thiamin High embryonic mortality during emergence but no obvious symptoms other than polyneuritis in those that survive. [/TR] [TR] Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Mortality peaks at 60 hours, 14 days, and 20 days of incubation, with peaks prominent early as deficiency becomes severe. Altered limb and beak development, dwarfism and clubbing of down are defects expressed by embryo. [/TR] [TR] Niacin Embryo readily synthesizes sufficient niacin from tryptophan. Various bone and beak malformations occur when certain antagonists are administered during incubation. [/TR] [TR] Biotin High death rate at 19 days to 21 days of incubation, parrot beak, chondrodystrophy, several skeletal deformities and webbing between the toes. Perosis. [/TR] [TR] Pantothenic acid Deaths appear around 14 days of incubation, although marginal levels may delay problems until emergence. Variable subcutaneous hemorrhaging and edema; wirey down in poults. [/TR] [TR] Pyridoxine Early embryonic mortality based on antivitamin use. [/TR] [TR] Folic acid Mortality at about 20 days of incubation. The dead generally appear normal, but many have bent tibiotarsus (long leg bone), syndactyly (fused toes) and beak malformations. In poults, mortality at 26 days to 28 days of incubation with abnormalities of extremities and circulatory system. [/TR] [TR] Vitamin B12 Mortality at about 20 days of incubation, with atrophy of legs, edema, hemorrhaging, fatty organs, and head between thighs malposition. [/TR] [TR] Manganese Deaths peak prior to emergence. Chondrodystrophy, dwarfism, long bone shortening, head malformations, edema, and abnormal feathering are prominent. Perosis. [/TR] [TR] Zinc Deaths prior to emergence, and the appearance of rumplessness, depletion of vertebral column, eyes underdeveloped and limbs missing. [/TR] [TR] Iodine Prolongation of hatching time, reduced thyroid size, and incomplete abdominal closure. [/TR] [TR] Iron Low hematocrit; low blood hemoglobin; poor extra-embryonic circulation in candled eggs. [/TR] [TR] Source / Reference: http://gallus.tamu.edu/Extension publications/b6092.pdf [/TR]

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