Twisting head upside down- funky chick

[7AcreOrganics]

hi,
we just got in a shipment of RIR and dark cornish. one cornish girls head is sideways, and the correlating leg spread far more than it should be. she just twisted her head totally upside down- beak pointing to heaven. she is peeping loudly. the others are ok. help

 

[lilgreenchicken]

There is some hope!

I had a couple of silkie chicks that did the same thing. I called the local Extension office, and farm supply stores looking for answers. I had several people tell me it was "Corzy" (not sure how to spell that), and that I should just dispose of the chicks. When I looked up info on the disease, there were other symptoms my chicks did not have. I separated them from my other chicks and gave them terramycin antibiotics but don't think it helped. One chick was so bad that my husband finally put her down. The other, "Bennie," actually got better. She grew up normal, but with a little head twitch now and then. I kept her separate for several months and she became very tame, and even learned to ring a bell! She graduated and had a great life with my other chickens (who never became sick from being exposed to her). I do think she continued to have a weak immune system since she'd get the sniffles every time the weather cooled. She lived a couple of years, and then we went for a weekend trip during the winter. A friend checked our chickens for us. When we came home, she was dead. I don't know what happened, but I believe if we'd been there she probably would still be with us. She was one of my favorites.

I never found out what exactly she and the other chick had. Hope this helps.

 

[Break an Egg]

I think it is called wryneck, one of my silkies had it from what I think was just a pecking injury.

I bought a bottle of vit E capsules and once a day tried to get my silkie to eat some after I punched a hole in it (she actually liked it)

She is all better now. Doesn't even have any twitches or anything.

I guess the Vitamin E supports the nervous system and wryneck is a nerve disorder.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Definitely NOT Coryza...that has a specific odour to it...
It sounds like Wry Neck.

 

[M@M@2four]

That's wryneck alright! Had a silkie that did this...lack of Vitamin E, I believe. I bought a bottle of Poly-visol vitamins(liquid form) from wal-mart--you can buy this pretty much anywhere(usually either on the baby section or the medicine section), drop a couple drops in it's mouth each day...it took my chicken 2 weeks to recover and now her neck is no longer pointing to the sky. I also fed her cooked scrambled egg(just a little mixed with her food) for protein! But you need to do this ASAP--if not, you will have a dead chicky. It's unbelievable what that Poly-visol does for them!!! Good luck!!!
God bless,
Tracey

 

[dlhunicorn]

you need to get the Polyvisol ENFAMIL formulation or else make sure it has the vit B-1 (some of their formulations do not) as deficiency of this (thiamine) can also cause this symptom which is referred to commonly as "stargazing"... see here:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/206934.htm

 

[lilgreenchicken]

I wish I had found this site several years ago! My chicks would have been AOK. No one even mentioned a deficiency. Everyone around here seems so paranoid of sick birds. Good luck to your chick!

 

[7AcreOrganics]

These were born on the 14th, and we just got them this morning. If a vitamin defiency, strange how no one else has it- we will try the vitamins and hopefully it works..! Thanks

 

[M@M@2four]

Yeah, that's how it was with mine as well...none of the other group had it, even though they were together and ate the same food. You'd think they'd all have the same deficiency. But that's just not the case. Apparently wry neck is a case by case deal. Good thing is we now know how to treat it. Imagine all the chicks and chickens that were culled or died due to the unknown. Many people freak out and think disease! Wry neck is not contagious--just a deficiency! Good luck!
God bless,
Tracey

 

[ruth]

My favorite chick and namesake, Ruth, was a wryneck/crookneck/limpneck baby and today is a healthy and beautiful hen who lays green eggs. I used the Vitamin E capsules and liquid baby vitamins. Some chicks, whether due to heredity/breeding; shipping; or just luck of the draw will have malabsorption vitamin deficiency issues. Just takes a little TLC to get them good as gold. Just don't stop with the vitamin E and Poly-Vi-Sol as soon as it clears up or it will come right back. Keep it up an additional couple of weeks at least.