Sweet Boy with a Bad Neck!

[microchick]

Hey guys, I have a 6 month old cockerel that I am suspecting has a neck injury or inflammation of some sort-or both Tweek is a doll. One of those rare instances of a truly sweet boy. This morning I noticed that his balance seemed off and he seemed to be wobbly on particularly his left leg. I also noticed that he has his head drawn down so his beak is resting on his neck and he looks almost neckless. He doesn't want to be bumped into by any of the other chickens and squawks if one bumps into him.

I brought him inside and he is in a large cat carrier. I gave him a dose of antibiotics just for cover, and wormed him while I was at it. Poop normal. He definitely has some sort of neural deficit though. Eating and drinking like a fiend, talking to me whenever I go into the shop where he is residing. I'm going to give him a quarter of a baby aspirin simply because he is a little guy for being a full blooded Buff O boy.

Any thoughts? I was just out there and got him out of the carrier for awhile so he could stretch his legs. He is still unsteady on his feet and standing like a Flamingo does with his neck almost in backwards 'S'. He seems reluctant to stretch it out. I couldn't palpate any obvious injury with the exception of a little ventral side puffiness in one of the bends in his neck. I'm not sure if this qualifies as 'wry' neck but I can really sympathize with him.

I have a broody nest and small pen that I am going to transfer him to this evening so he is in view of the rest of the flock. Besides aspirin and rooster booster that I'm going to put in his water what else can I do for him except wait this out?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You can try treating him for Wry Neck to see if that helps.
Give some Vitamin E and selenium, which are both in your Poultry Nutri-Drench and Poultry Cell. Dosage is 1ml per every 3 pounds.

Was he vaccinated for Marek's?



Wry Neck Info:
http://www.raising-happy-chickens.com/wry-neck.html
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck



WRY NECK VIDEO

 

[microchick]

Thank you Wyorp Rock That is what I am suspecting is wrong with him as he is standing with this weird bend in his neck like the way a flamingo stands with it's neck bent so it's head is almost resting on its back. His balance is terrible.

No, no vaccines. He is from a first generation hatching from stock that came from an NPIP breeder, Marecks, Pullorum, typhoid and influenza clean. There had been no chickens on our property for over 5 years at the time I started my flock last year. Plus he is the only one with this problem.

I was just out to see him this morning and the poor boy actually seems worse than he was last night. He was sitting back in the nesting area of my broody pen and I had to touch him to respond to me. When he got up he had a hard time doing anything and when I offered him a piece of bread instead of gobbling it with gusto, he took tiny bites. Last night he was walking pretty normally and acting alert. This was after I gave him a small half of a baby aspirin.

Last night when I transferred him to the broody pen, which is quiet and small, two of my Welsummer hens walked up to the cage and he went postal. So I am suspecting that one of them injured, possibly pecked him in the head or neck.

I'm afraid at this point in time that I'm going to loose him.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you Wyorp Rock That is what I am suspecting is wrong with him as he is standing with this weird bend in his neck like the way a flamingo stands with it's neck bent so it's head is almost resting on its back. His balance is terrible.

No, no vaccines. He is from a first generation hatching from stock that came from an NPIP breeder, Marecks, Pullorum, typhoid and influenza clean. There had been no chickens on our property for over 5 years at the time I started my flock last year. Plus he is the only one with this problem.

I was just out to see him this morning and the poor boy actually seems worse than he was last night. He was sitting back in the nesting area of my broody pen and I had to touch him to respond to me. When he got up he had a hard time doing anything and when I offered him a piece of bread instead of gobbling it with gusto, he took tiny bites. Last night he was walking pretty normally and acting alert. This was after I gave him a small half of a baby aspirin.

Last night when I transferred him to the broody pen, which is quiet and small, two of my Welsummer hens walked up to the cage and he went postal. So I am suspecting that one of them injured, possibly pecked him in the head or neck.

I'm afraid at this point in time that I'm going to loose him.

If it's injury then it may take some time to heal. Hopefully he will pull through for you.
I don't think the vitamin treatment would hurt.

If you have access to Prednisone - you may want to try the Crookneck (wryneck) treatment (Linked below) I think @realsis has found this type of treatment successful - even though I think she used it for Silkies, the treatment would generally be the same. This treatment uses B-Compex tablets and E capsules instead of something like Nutri-Drench so I would assume it would be a more concentrated treatment.

Try to keep him hydrated - with the neck the way it is they sometimes can't drink/eat well so you have to help them along. I'm sure you have seen @casportpony articles/threads on tube feeding, this may be something to think about if he gets worse.

I hope he gets better

Treatment
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding POST 15&17 show where to put tube or syringe/

 

[microchick]

He ate some scrambled egg for me this morning. I wouldn't think of trying to tube him the way his neck is. I think it would only cause him more discomfort.

I brought him back in the house this morning. He seems more comfortable away from the flock and seems afraid of them at the moment. That to me confirms that injury is the diagnosis of choice right now. I don't know what happened. It could be as simple as him getting knocked off of the roost by one of the other chickens to him being attacked or stepped on. I do believe that there is a 90% chance that he has suffered a neck injury over a head trauma. Today he is dragging a wing at times and his tail is curving to the right.

I want to give him a chance to heal. This little cockerel has always been a favorite of mine but I have to admit that I am afraid of the young, 10 week old juveniles that are integrated with the main flock and am contemplating removing the Welsummers from the group to see if things settle down.