Wobbley head*Update* Resolved!

[GloriaH]

Hello All, I just wanter to update on my "bobblehead" Pumpkin is doing just fine now. He/She is holding it's head up normally now. I have decided to keep it as a pet. Great personality. It even takes naps with me. It's too soon to tell if it's a boy or girl hence the generic name Pumpkin. Being a buff it's kind of a pumpkin color right now. It will be staying in the house for awhile. The rest are going in the brooder outside today.

 

[robin416]

Airheart, that's why I'm so adament against jumping right to the pred treatment before doing a good assessment about what is truly happening. The bobble head issue is so much easier to deal with. There for a while I kept seeing the recommendation for pred right from the get go.

Gloria what a positive update. Nutrition and heat can be quite draining on these guys. I did not see any evidence of the bobble head routine this year after switching to a meat protein feed. And this year was the ultimate test, triple digit temps for over a month. Not a sign of it except in my genetically affected bird.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i just noticed this evening that my Bobblehead is no longer bobbling. The temps have lowered here, but have been lower for over a week. i have been using the avia charge, but i think what finally helped him was something else. For the past couple of days i have added canned cat food to my chick's diet. i am feeding Newman's Own Organic with organic chicken and salmon, plus lots of other really good things, including flax seed. i put out just one small can for all 14 chickens to share, and they all love it. It's almost gone by the time i get the plate on the ground.

The chicken feed i buy only contains soybean meal for protein, and after Robin's comment that it may be part of the problem, i searched locally for an animal-based chicken feed. Failing that, i tried the canned cat food.

It's amazing what a difference good nutrition makes. i will continue with the avia charge, too, as that is obviously very good stuff. i just wanted everyone to know how well things have turned out.

 

[GloriaH]

What great news!!! I would have never thought of canned cat food. I'll have to pick some up. I like the idea of organic. Newmans own are good products. I'm happy for you!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Well, of course i got the idea from folks on this board. i don't know what i would do without all the insights, information, and support i find with all the great people here.

Is your bobblehead Pumpkin still doing well?

 

[robin416]

News from this side. Recently I had a true head injury Silkie, once you've seen both there is no doubt in your mind what you're seeing. The little one is fine after a course of pred but for those of us who have seen bobblehead, I think we're ahead of the crowd because we will KNOW when its head injury without a shadow of doubt.

The little bugger is back in with the flock and doing all the normal young bird things you would expect him/her to do.

 

[GloriaH]

Pumpkin is doing great! Thank you for asking. She (?) is spoiled rotten. I need to build her a cage for the house.

 

[ruth]

While not a doctor, nor do I play one on t.v., I believe that chickens need more protein than the commerical chick feed provides. With my first batch of chicks, I was feeding them mainly just the starter chick feed. When Ruth nearly died with a twisted neck and inability to walk, I started hand feeding her anything that was high in protein including cat food. Ever since, I have been feeding all chicks a well balanced meal that includes chick feed, veggies, fruits but most importantly protein in the form of dry cat food, shredded cheese, black oil sunflower seeds, and fresh crickets on occasion - plus they free range our woods all day long. I've had no problems with sickness since or the other issues that people are experiencing with their hens pecking one another, eating feathers, or eating their eggs (which they just started laying this week and the shells are so hard I sometimes bust the yolk trying to crack the egg).

I know I've read all the posts on the board about the commercial food being so well balanced and that if you feed them anything else it will keep them from getting the nutrition they need and I believed that when I started out with chicks but no longer buy into belief. I watch mine free range and eat the good foods I give them and they are beautiful and healthy and their feathers look like I oiled them, and they only eat the dry chick feed as a last resort.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Wow Ruth, that is great to hear. It just makes sense that they would need a wide variety of foods to be healthy, just like us.

On the black oil sunflower seeds, i've heard others talk about feeding those to their chickens. Do you just feed them whole to your chicks? They seem hard and pointy to me, like they would puncture their crop, but the chickens digest them okay? i suppose they would, if other smaller birds, like blue jays, eat them whole.

 

[GloriaH]

my laying hens are in the chicken coop and dirt yard all day. I boxed in an area with landscape timbers filled it with dirt and planted grass seed. I then covered it with chicken wire. My girls love it. They can't scratch because of the wire and they have a fresh source of greens.