What do these symptoms mean?

[FreckleFace]

We are very new to raising chickens. A week and a half ago, I noticed one of our 3-month old silkie chicks holding her neck off-kilter - slightly off to one side with her head turned slightly back towards her tail. (We had a chick die of wry neck so I was worried about this.) She was running all around just fine and we started giving her Polyvisol once a day just in case. Her condition didn't seem to get worse until yesterday.

Yesterday morning, she walked out of the hen house herself, but she was having trouble keeping her balance. She was flapping her wings like crazy to steady herself and then plopping over on her belly, then she'd get up again and wander around, always seeming wobbly, and then fall back over again.

This morning, she is much worse. Her neck seems more twisted. But she isn't trying to tuck it under herself or turning it upside down. Instead, she is turning it around towards her back, and she isn't able to stand. She flaps her wings and pushes with her feet but just can't get up. We separated her and in her small container she backs herself up in a corner and then can sit upright. She is eating hungrily and drinking from the eye dropper.

So, I'm wondering if this is wry neck resulting from an injury (3 of the chicks are older and much larger, and I'm wondering if she might have gotten pecked) I'm also worried about Marek's.

Aside from Polyvisol, is there much else we can do? We don't have access to Prednisone. I've seen that some people's chickens recover, but if it's a brain injury, is that really likely? I don't want to make her suffer unnecessarily.

Thanks a lot!

 

[Amigo]

We have a floppy chicken who has been floppy for about two years , but this is something I've nerver heard of. I wish I could help you.

 

[MKingsolver]

@ FreckleFace~ I was going to post a new topic this morning until I read your post and realized that we are both going through something very similar! Originally I noticed my chicken, a 10 wk old EE, with it's neck AND tail slightly turned. She seemed off balance or drunk and would walk around to forage but then would lie down and rest for awhile. My husband and I decided to catch her yesterday to inspect her and we found quite a bit of little white bugs on her. So we treated that and when I was lifting up her right wing, it looks like some of her feathers have been plucked out on that side and left with almost a rash like appearance. We gave her some polyvisol and she seemed to improve last night but had a heck of a time just getting out of the coop this morning. It really was painful to watch her try and stumble down the steps but she took to eating, drinking, and foraging right away. Still very stumbly. Upon closer inspection I noticed her left eye is closed which consequently is the side to which her neck and tail turn.

I'm freaked out it might be Marek's, too. Going to call the vet this morning when they open to see if I can get her in.

P.S. Can anyone tell me how to post pictures on here?

 

[JakRat]

Quote:
go to uploads and you can hit the browse and upload!

 

[MKingsolver]

Thank you, I will do that!