Tilting Head

[Isaac 0]

Its normal for there crop to be empty in the morning.Glad she is doing better

 

[bigbird]

Today was day 10 on vitamin e, selenium and b complex. I was told to give her this for 10 days, then give her these every other day for 5 days. She is still the same, and appears worse in the morning and at night. In the morning, I'm finding her either on her side or back with her head twisted. Should I give her different things? Should I continue doing what I was doing, and if so, for how long? During the day, she appears to be so much better, and is still eating on her own. Still star gazes, but isn't down and out. I attribute her behavior to the fact that if this is wry neck, it was caught and treatment was started right away. Thanks

 

[chickcrack]

Big bird how old is your girl? I would continue full dose treatments and not taper off until symptoms are gone. Any excess vitamins in your girls system are expelled so your treatment can do no harm to her. To put your mind at ease I gave my newly hatched banty rooster the same doses that MasterofClucker listed for you and he did eventually recover. My little guy hatched with wry neck (star gazing) and he was unable to stand because his head flipped so far back that he had no balance and would fall onto his back and was unable to right himself. These same symptoms could possibly be Newcastle or Marek's as well. Wry neck is a two step forward/one step back kind of disease. My guy did show different symptoms throughout the day with the evenings being worst even when he appeared recovered during the day. You may want to research those other diseases. Have you added any birds to your flock or had any other recent illnesses?

 

[bigbird]

Thank you. She is about 18 months old. I received two Jub hens in May, and was told they were from last year. I don't know if they are related or not. The other one is showing no signs of anything. Would you continue doing the same exact thing that I have been doing? Would you add the prednisone? I have about 20 chickens, some turkeys and geese, and no one else is doing this, just her. The two of them were the only birds added. I have pretty much of a closed flock.
How long did it take your bird to recover? I realize that every one is different, but a light at the end of the tunnel would be nice right about now. lol
Also, with the vitamin e being oil based, does the build up of that over a long period of time not worry you?
Thank you in advance.

 

[chickcrack]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1132347/wry-neck/60#post_17717174

Post #61 is my little guys story. All in we had a 6 month battle. Not to say he showed symptoms that entire time, just everytime I tried weaning him off his vitamins he would relapse-sometimes mild and others severe. Honestly I was in the position with him that if I did nothing he would die so I chose the less of two evils. He always seemed to have a zest for life. Much of what I read seemed to teach me that it would either be a quick fix or get worse and worse and eventually lead to euthanizing. There was times I thought that may be the kinder thing to do but in his good moments he was so Happy (thus his name) that we kept going. I learned to judge his process from week to week or month to month instead of day to day. I know how frustrating it is. If you have access to the Prednisone I would suggest trying it. Is it possible your girl got head pecked? Brain/nerve damage can cause this symptom - again repairable over time and B vitamins very important to recovery.

 

[bigbird]

I just read your story. How wonderful ! I guess there is always a possibility of head trauma. I have two roosters and two hens in the same pen. They are the only jubs I have, and did not want them to co-mingle with the other birds. I am always observing, and have never noticed anything out of the unusual with them. Even the roo's get along. There is a huge difference in the weight between the hen's and roo's though.
I made a special dust bath in a Rubbermaid tub yesterday, and she loved it. She spent a good hour in there, and actually appeared to be normal dusting. Any idea how often they need to do that to keep their feathers nice? I'm also a little worried about rickets. With her being inside, she is not getting any sun. I guess I could put her outside in something during the day if lack of sunshine is a problem. Thank you, and continued success on your "house" pet. lol

 

[Isaac 0]

My Mom once told me sunshine is the best treatment for any cold don't know if that works with chickens.Just check her for mites,lice once and a while to make sure she doesn't have it besides that she should be fine

 

[bigbird]

Selenium question:
Since she is likely to be on these supplements for an indefinite period of time, and selenium is toxic in large doses, should I cut that dosage down to once a week, and continue with the same amounts of vit E, and B Complex giving each twice a day?
Thanks

 

[Isaac 0]

Maybe selenium every other day

 

[bigbird]

How long can I give her this dosage? Do I need to taper this even more after a certain time? Thanks