Update with video***Wry neck silkie rooster not eating

[Katejc]

I understand that you are frustrated.
Does the little hen stay inside with him or did you bring her in for a visit?
If he doesn't see her all the time, try bringing her in and giving her something tasty - scrambled egg(?), see if that encourages him to eat along with her. Sometimes they will copy the other.

Another thing to check, I imagine that having Wry Neck makes it harder to swallow - is his crop emptying? Also just in case, he doesn't have any canker or lesions inside his beak which is making it more difficult to eat.

Totally appreciate your help and advice. I noted in previous posts that his crop is emptying and his digestion is good. I should rephrase the eating part, its not that he won’t eat, he physically can’t. I’ve tried feeding the girl in front of him but then realized it was a bit cruel. I took him outside to a patch of grass and he did try much harder then he has inside with any of the food offered but he just doesn’t have the ability to use his neck or beak. He did manage to have some snow.

 

[K8thagr8]

that is the sweetest picture ever!!!!! I hope he's feeling better today and love, love, love that his friend was able to cheer him up a bit. <3

 

[Katejc]

that is the sweetest picture ever!!!!! I hope he's feeling better today and love, love, love that his friend was able to cheer him up a bit. <3

They are super bonded. She crawls underneath him to lay her eggs.

 

[Katejc]

So for anyone still invested in this, or for those in a similar predicament searching for solutions, I am happy to say that he is doing much better and it looks like he is going to make it. There were combinations of things that I did and there is no way of knowing what worked in the end but everything I did is outlined in this thread. In the last few days I was giving him a combination of whole wheat pancake mix blended with water and scrambled eggs. We would also do water on its own when possible and we started every morning with 2 B12 (1000iu) tablets dissolved in water and 400iu vitamin E. This was all done through a syringe. What worked for me was using one side of an old pair of my sons pj pants. The bottom around the neck and the leg part holding the wings down flat so the chicken was essentially a tube. I would wrap him in a stiff towel with the bad side of his head/neck supported and pry his beak open and feed about 1/2ml at a time into the beak under the tongue so as not to aspirate him (do not aim for the throat!). Its been a long week and as of last night there were no signs he was getting any better until he woke up today better. He is eating on his own, drinking and crowing. Not walking much and his head still falls over but 90% of the time he is keeping it up and staying conscious and definitely on the road to recovery. I picked up some poly vi sol and a few syringes of anti inflammatories from the vet this morning but I am hesitant to use it as he is doing better! I also was treating the ear which is outlined in an earlier post in this thread. In the end I have no idea what caused it or cured it but its nice that my perseverance paid off!!

 

[Eggcessive]

So glad that he is doing better. Are you giving him B12 or B complex in his water? B Complex is all B vitamins, including B12, while B12 is only B 12. For wry neck he needs B1 which is thiamine. Instead of the pancake mix, I would mix his chicken feed with water, and you can grind it up if you prefer, but it will be mushy anyway. Pancake mix probably does not have the protein and nutrients needed.

 

[Katejc]

So glad that he is doing better. Are you giving him B12 or B complex in his water? B Complex is all B vitamins, including B12, while B12 is only B 12. For wry neck he needs B1 which is thiamine. Instead of the pancake mix, I would mix his chicken feed with water, and you can grind it up if you prefer, but it will be mushy anyway. Pancake mix probably does not have the protein and nutrients needed.

He was just having B12 because its what I had on hand, but now he is on poly vi sol which has a good combo. I tried the chicken feed soaked in water but it doesnt syringe well, it just clogs up. It was a whole wheat high protein power pancake mix which I think had a decent amount of the B vitamins itself. Luckily all of this is behind me now though because he is eating on his own!
I just want to stress to people that this is a very slow moving recovery in that you put a ton of work in and see nothing in return. I was very close a few times to calling a friend to come and cull him and then today, the difference is night and day, all of a sudden!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the update!
I'm glad to hear he's doing a bit better, I hope he continues to improve!

 

[Katejc]

Thank you, me too! Thanks to everyone on this thread for all the advice and input. I hope this will come up in a search for someone and be helpful one day.

 

[micstrachan]

So for anyone still invested in this, or for those in a similar predicament searching for solutions, I am happy to say that he is doing much better and it looks like he is going to make it. There were combinations of things that I did and there is no way of knowing what worked in the end but everything I did is outlined in this thread. In the last few days I was giving him a combination of whole wheat pancake mix blended with water and scrambled eggs. We would also do water on its own when possible and we started every morning with 2 B12 (1000iu) tablets dissolved in water and 400iu vitamin E. This was all done through a syringe. What worked for me was using one side of an old pair of my sons pj pants. The bottom around the neck and the leg part holding the wings down flat so the chicken was essentially a tube. I would wrap him in a stiff towel with the bad side of his head/neck supported and pry his beak open and feed about 1/2ml at a time into the beak under the tongue so as not to aspirate him (do not aim for the throat!). Its been a long week and as of last night there were no signs he was getting any better until he woke up today better. He is eating on his own, drinking and crowing. Not walking much and his head still falls over but 90% of the time he is keeping it up and staying conscious and definitely on the road to recovery. I picked up some poly vi sol and a few syringes of anti inflammatories from the vet this morning but I am hesitant to use it as he is doing better! I also was treating the ear which is outlined in an earlier post in this thread. In the end I have no idea what caused it or cured it but its nice that my perseverance paid off!!

Wonderful news! Keep up the good work!