Unbalanced chicken

[Ksimone]

Hi guys! We moved my polish chicken outside (10 weeks) she has since been acting super strange, almost ataxic? Wobbly on her feet head droopy seems withdrawn. I have been giving her poultry cell a few times a day for a few days and it doesn’t seem to be helping- she has been getting picked on that I can see so I don’t know if she’s withdrawn or if something is going on. When I pick her up to syringe her the meds she has an open beak I have some pictures. She is also sitting with her legs in front of her

 

[ChickQueen77]

you said she is getting picked on and I know that birds like polish and silkie because they have a large topknot of feathers they have a vaulted skull. a vaulted skull leaves a very thin piece of bone over the brain so if the others are pecking at her because of the vaulted skull her head is not protected very well

 

[FarmerGirl101]

ChickQueen77 is right, they have a thinner skull/bone piece above their head. Taking from my experience with neurologic horses, this sounds like she is neurologic herself. She must've gotten a good peck on the top of her head. You have two options, separate her and keep her in a cool dark place to see if she may recover or cull her as she clearly has something going on with her brain. Either way she needs to be separated for the time being.

 

[wkeblejr]

How many days have you noticed these symptoms? How does she look when she walks? I had a turkey poult who had started off with a forward leaning walk, almost like it's front half was too heavy for it and it continued until it could not longer even sit upright. I read through multiple reddit and BYC forums until I saw another post of a guy who's bird was acting similarly and the general consensus was a vitamin deficiency (niacin was the majority vote) and after 7 days of 1ml of Poultry Nutri-Drench daily, higher protein feed, and multivitamin/probiotic/electrolyte water additive, the bird started walking again.

Is there any chance you could upload a video of your Polish sitting and/or walking?

 

[Ksimone]

Update on my polish - but really looking for advice in a desperate manner- I will attach videos - she seems so be worse, I was giving her b vitamin once a day and I thought she was getting better and now she isn’t. I have been trying to slam her with vitamins. I will attach pictures from today. I’m getting paranoid it Mareks? But the chickens on her side of the run all seem fine- the chickens on the other side of the run who possibly only free ranged with her also seem ok- my older ones aren’t laying as great but there’s been lots of changes. The polish will eat and drink if I help her. But seems to be almost balancing on her wings and she literally can’t stand. It is so devastatingly sad I am trying so hard to help her. I will say she was has been off since probably may 31 - and I have her isolated inside because she was getting picked on. Any advice is helpful!!!!!

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Since it hasn't been getting better I still think this is neurological from a peck to the head. At this point I think it would be kindest to cull her.