Week old chick - Lurching and wobbling head/neck?

[Illia]

Hi, I just got 8 blue Ameraucana chicks from a local breeder, and all of them, almost a week old, came home nice, healthy, and happy except one who from the drive home to now, 24 hours later, has a weird, occasional fit of lurching and wobbling its neck and head around. It eats, drinks, and walks around like any healthy chick, but every once in a while will twist its neck around. I don't know how to describe it but at first I thought it may have choked on something - We had them in a box with white pine shavings and as chicks do, they thought at first that the shavings were food - Well, I doubt it now because she still does it and can eat and drink normally. A couple hours after I first noticed it yesterday, the chick would bubble at the mouth then toss a weird mucousy saliva from its mouth. I thought it was over after that, but it still does it occasionally today.

Is it a neurological problem, a choking fit, a weird sickness? I'd like to know what there is I can do about it or if I should worry.

 

[artsyrobin]

sounds alot like what is called wry neck- not sure what breeds it affects other than silkies, but here is a thread discussing it

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=275618

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=269788

it is basically a vitamin deficiency- hope that helps..

 

[Illia]

Well, I'm not exactly sure it is that. It seems a point in the good direction, but can wry-necked chicks eat, drink, and function normally? Because all she does is about 10 times a day have a weird lurching fit, like she's hoola-hooping her head around. So, whatever it may be - Could it be contagious, or just a deficiency/genetic problem? I'd hate to think it is contagious.