Week old chick keeps head turned to the left

[Hockeychick]

Hello, I have a week old Sussex that is holding her head so that is is turned to the left and slightly tilted so she is looking up. She can turn her head to the right, but it keeps returning to the left. She is eating and drinking. This is all very new to me, and I have checked high and low on the forum looking for an idea but I am not coming up with anything. Hopefully someone else has experienced this. I apologize for not being able to give a better description. I will try to take a picture of her. Thanks! Kim.

 

[Hockeychick]

I left something out. She shakes her head and is sounds like there is water in her head, sort of a watery rattle. This may be a super longshot, but she was sleeping by the chick waterer yesterday. Could she have gotten water in her ear?

 

[drumstick diva]

I don't know much about chickens but, many people have mentioned something called "wry neck", when the head is carried twisted to one side. Maybe if you search for that term, you will find info. you can use.

 

[Hockeychick]

Thanks Drumstick Diva. I looked into wry neck and it looks like she may indeed have that. She is definitely worse today than yesterday.

 

[drumstick diva]

Hockey Chick, I wish someone with experience would post here and help you out. Maybe if there was more drama to the topic like " Chick keeps head turned around - does she need an exorcist?"

Not funny I know, I think they usually suggest giving polyvisol(NO IRON) infant vitamins + some vit.E squeezed out of a capsule because it is sometimes caused by nutritional deficiencies.

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Ekkk, I'm not sure what the problem is, I would definitely try the Poly-Vi-Sol WITHOUT IRON drops, it could be a nutritional issue. I wish I had more advice for your, but here's a BUMP!

 

[Hockeychick]

Thank you both. Where can I get polyvisol? at a regular drug store or Walmart? I have been trying to find a vet that treats chickens, but no luck. You would think that I was asking them if they treated 3 headed green martians by the dead silence on the other end of the phone line. It is quite farmy where i live so I didn't think I would have trouble finding local help.

I have read other posts about the chick sometimes getting better, but I am not holding my breath on that one. Poor little bugger. She is so cute. She looks rather like a chipmunk with wings and a beak.

 

[drumstick diva]

Our Walmart carries the polyvisol vitamins (NO IRON) its about $ 7.50 but it would last quite a bit for just one chick. The retail pharmacy wanted $ 4 more. It's usually with infant/child vitamins, and just a small box, so easy to miss on shelves.Our store has it in the regular vitamin section but some places have it near infant formulas etc. Just ask if you can't find it.

If you give vitamin E also the capsules are cheap (get the smallest amount) and you just pierce one with a needle and squeeze out I think 3 drops,(put on something chick will eat, so you know she got it. My friend puts the drops on a cut up grape , and it got to be such a treat her grown up pullet still demands it.

 

[Jess N Jeff]

I am in noooo way an expert, but I wanted to tell you my story...

Last week I hatched one chick that seemed to have the same symptoms as yours. Neck twisted to the right side looking up. She couldn't stand or walk. I almost culled her right then and there, but...I decided to hold her in my hand (keeping her warm at all times) and slowely straighten out her neck and continued to rub the back of her neck slowly and gently. She would just sleep through the whole thing. Every time she twisted her neck back up, I would slowly straighten it back out

I kept this up for a couple of days...it was the weekend so I didn't have to worry about work. Every couple of hours I did this. Now she is perfectly fine and loves to have her neck rubbed.

Good luck. Hope things work out.

 

[19hhbelgian]

Does she look like this?

If so, I got my little one better by getting Vitamin B drops. They have them in a plastic bottle that comes with a dropper. I gave him the drops every day, for probably 3-4 days in a row, 2 to 3 times/day. He got better and is in with his buddies being a normal chick

I know - Not very scientific, but it worked, and he's a happy camper!