Silkie With Wry Neck!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Help!!!!!!!

[blueoval1]

Hi I have a silkie with I wry neck I went down to the barn today and saw it he was fine yesterday. I feed dumour starter. What do id do? I think the other chickens pecked at its vaulted skull.

PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[chickenzoo]

Hi, start her on poly-vi-sol liquid children s vitamins. Buy some Vitamin E gel Caps, with selenium if possible. Pierce the gel cap and drip in her mouth. I do it twice a day for a week or until you see improvement, then slowly go to one a day then every other etc. Serch on here for the exact amounts to give etc.....

 

[fourfeathers]

I posted before on another silkie with wry neck....would really investigate Alan Stanford's suggestions and visit www.browneggblueegg.com for more info on silkies. Also would separate during recovery and consider whether he is being picked on by others in flock and may need to be away from some for his protection.

Treating "Crookneck"
by Alan Stanford
Permission to share this is granted as long as you give credit to the Author

Here is my theory and therapy for what some call "limber neck" and I call crookneck. The symptoms first show as a crook in the neck. It progresses to
tucking the head, then tucking the head between the legs, then backing up, and tumbling over. It usually hits young birds but can happen at any age.

It is unclear what causes crookneck. American Silkie Bantam Club members suggest water on the brain, vitamin E deficiency, and injury to the brain that
is outside the skull and forms the knob on the top of Silkie's heads. The brain injury is the cause I feel fairly certain about.

Water on the brain was seen in a necropsy of an affected bird. Prednisone was suggested as symptomatic relief. Vitamin E and B complex are both good for neurological disorders. Selenium helps absorb vitamin E.

Here's what I do for affected birds. If started before symptoms get severe, the bird will totally recover. To give vitamin E - just cut the end off a human capsule and squirt it in the bird's mouth.

It is important to be sure the bird gets enough to eat and drink while it has this problem. Birds with severe cases of crookneck can't eat and drink enough to survive. You will need to gently place their head in the feed dish and carefully dip just the tip of the beak in water. Be careful not to dip too far into the water and to not stress the bird while trying to help.

The following is for an adult about 2 pound bird. Scale back for smaller birds.

For the first week I give

Twice a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E

Once a day
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)

For the second week I give

Once a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins

Every other day
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)

For the following weeks I give

Once a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins

Every third day
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)

Do not abruptly stop prednisone, the swelling rebounds, decrease dose
gradually.
Vitamin E recovery can be slow; continue the vitamin E for several weeks at
least.

You can get the prednisone from a vet; just describe the problem of
swelling in
the brain probably due to injury. Yes Silkies' brains do stick out through a
hole on the top of the skull.

You can get the vitamin E, selenium, and vitamin B complex or liquid
vitamins at
any pharmacy.

To get prednisone, print the pictures at
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/HoleInHead.html
and take them to a vet. (for those unable to access this article, Alan has generously given his permission to repost the article/photos below)

 

[MeowilynMonroe]

I have a blue silkie, about three-weeks-old, who started to show signs about two-weeks-ago.

After some research online I immediatly switched to organic chic starter, seperated "Hendrix", the inflicted chic, from the other chics, and started giving Hendrix...

1) a tiny crushed piece of human B vitamin,
2) about half of a 400 IUD vitamin E gel cap, and
3) mixed it with a couple drops of selenium to help the absorbtion of vitamin E

...each day.

I often mixed it with some mulit-grain baby cereal, soymilk, and egg yolk for nutrition supplimentation.

I was starting to get worried about Hendrix after a week, because his head was always tucked....

But this week...especially today, Hendrix seems almost normal. I am so happy!

Everytime I have checked on him today his head has been up.

I will probably continue treatment for another week.

Good Luck with your chic! Hang in there!

 

[Pollitollito]

I had one like that and the vitamins really help!!! on 3 days she was ok

 

[JayDe]

I followed Alan Stanford's treatment on my 8 month old silkie and he recovered fully, but it took 2 weeks to see ANY results and 1 month for him to recover fully---but he did recover!

We also made a sling for him so he wouldn't hurt himself flipping over.

Good luck!

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

I just had this happen with one of my Silkies. I put her in a large dog crate alone, and fed her Vit E for four days, three times a day and she came out of it after 6 days. The other advice you've gotten is great.

 

[silkieowner]

Hi i just got some new chickens myself the lady gave me my little buff silkie twister for free as it has wry neck, I'm treating with Penta-vite multivitamins
Ingredients
Each ml contains:
Retinyl palmitate (Equiv. to Vitamin A 3600IU)1.98mg
Thiamine hydrochloride (Vitamin B1) 1.2mg
Riboflavine sodium phosphate (Equiv. to Riboflavine Vitamin B2 1.8mg) 2.5mg
Nicotinamide (Vitamin B3) 15.8mg
Dexpanthenol 640mcg
Pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6) 300mcg
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) 95mg
Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) 22.5mcg

I noticed it hasn't got vitamin E in it but my baby seems to be improving and its only day 4, Tommrorow i'll be giving her some scrambled egg with her pellet soaked in warm water. Foods that have high vitamin E is wheat,oats leafy green vegetables,nuts and seeds,sardines and egg yolks.