Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad wry neck

Gallomancer

In the Brooder
Oct 18, 2017
10
13
44
Minneapolis, MN
To start off, I have read every forum post on here about treating wry neck. I have tried all of the food and vitamin and water tips. I have treated her for any illnesses that might be connected to the condition. Nothing is working.

My Welsummer, Beakman, started showing a bit of a twisty neck about a month ago. It was just a little noticeable, but she would only be twisty sometimes. I immediately started looking things up and got her on the vitamin supplements. She started to look better, would only twist up for a few seconds while sleeping, otherwise fine. Then one day I looked in the coop, and her head was completely twisted upside down. I gave her a warm bath because she had some poop on her hiney feathers, and also because I read that she may be egg-bound and a warm bath and humid room can help (with plenty of water of course). She is only about nine months old and hasn't actually laid her first egg, so I thought she was having some trouble with that. Other threads suggested her first moult might be the problem.

We have two coops, both all winterized, so I know she's not just too cold or something. Just in case, I thought I'd put her in our spare bathroom (no one uses it because it's creepy and the toilet barely works). It's a nicely sized room with plenty of space to put a large box with hay, food, water, and a chicken in it. I also put a small space heater in there in case it gets cold and have been using it only as needed. Again, she seemed to improve after a couple days of hand feeding/watering and vitamins, but then she went right back to upside down town. I've kept her inside at night (which I know most people say not to do- sorry!) so that it's easier for me to tend to her. I do take her outside to be with her sisters when it's light out, but at night I feel more comfortable knowing that she isn't being pecked on through the holes in her crate.

It's been about three weeks now, and she's gone up and down. I'm constantly checking her crop to see if she's digested her previous meal, help her get to her water and food and grit, provide her with Vitamin E supplements as well as selenium and polyvisol. One thing that has stayed an improvement is her body posture. She was insisting on lying completely on her back for a week or so, but she's finally sitting normally- or as normal as she can without stepping on her own neck.

As well as her neck issues, she's also losing weight despite our efforts. I'm feeding her 23% protein crumble, eggs, yogurt, corn, and raisins. She doesn't have bad breath and she's digesting her food all the way through to the end so I know she doesn't have sour crop.

I know some people thing it's silly, but after we lost one of our pullets several months back we're really attached to the remaining two of our First Batch. Beakman's sister, Zuul, has started trying to come inside when I bring Miss B in. Zuul follows me around the backyard all the time and always wants to be held now. Even with 6 little babies to brood after (well, they're not babies anymore, but she's the leader) she seems lonely for attention. Miss B used to be the very obvious alpha hen. She was a proud-looking Welsummer with gorgeous feathers, and I feel just terrible that she's lying with her head between her feet and is so so thin.

She still has her same attitude, but she can only walk backwards so she usually just gives up.

Miss B is unreasonably important to all three of us living here. We need some serious help, and the majority of the threads are either left open-ended with no update of whether the bird was saved or it's about a chick.
 

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