Wobbley head*Update* Resolved!

[dlhunicorn]

Quote:
yes...the little balls are perhaps what they call "feed passage" (improperly digested feed)... this little one will definitely benefit from the aviacharge... it may simply be due to heat stress or it may be something that will require additional supplementation for several months... I had a roo that struggled with malabsorption issues... eleminated any other possible problems (still have no idea what may have caused it)... had to give him nutritional supplements and despite this at a certain point he developed beginning neurological signs (walking backwards, head fling etc) so added a vitE/selenium combination (the selenium and vit E need each other in order to work)... agway has one that is exactly right I have heard (vit E200-400 IU combined with 50 MICROgrams of selenium) > yes....just prick open the tab... one must be careful not to give this daily as too much selenium is quite toxic and it is retained (it has a narrow therapeutic range>50 MICROgrams is what you need)... however without the extra selenium /vit E the symptoms would not abate and so after two weeks of giving every other day , once a week is sufficent for a month thereafter (this is for adult>a chick will need only every other day for a week)... you may find this helps as I did however I had to continue it (once a week for this one bird> I gave in beak) for five months and then again on occasion when the symptoms came back...
Now I do not know if your bird is like mine (with malabsorption problems which will respond to add vit supplement plus and extra vitE/selenium) or if he has gotten peck on the head which will require a similar vitamin supplementation plus vit E/selenium and prednisone (the prednisone will address the brain inflammation due to injury)... might be a combination of things... I can tell you though that in most cases (unless there is brain injury which may require prednisone) the supplementation is very effective.... sometimes it is simply figuring out what works... (by the way my boy is completely recovered now)

 

[robin416]

OK, I can chime in here again. My birds did not have the abnormal droppings. So you are dealing with something that is totally heat related. It could still correct itself when the heat lets up but they will benefit from the Avia Charge.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Thank you dlhunicorn for the information. It is actually comforting to hear that you had one with a similar problem who is okay now. And you too Robin, thank you. Hopefully this heat will let up and give my chicks a break. i'm surprised my own head isn't wobbling from it being over a hundred for a week now.

i'm heading to my local feed store now to see what they have. Their poultry supplies are minimal, so i will probably need to order the Vit E/Selenium online. The Quik Chik i'm putting in the water has some Vit E in it, but not the selenium.

i have checked her head over and don't see anything that might suggest a head injury. But she probably did get head-pecked while in with the bigger guys. i gave her some yogurt last night and this morning, and she seemed to like that. i actually have prednisone on hand, as i take it daily for my fibromyalgia. If i had any idea about dosage i could give her a little bit and i doubt it would hurt her.

i'm a little reluctant to take her to the vet. There is only one in the area who treats chickens, and the one time i was in there with a new-born chick who had intestines pulled out i got charged $140 to have her put to sleep. i guess i'm just not confident that a vet will know more than the experts here on this board, especially with something as inconclusive as this.

Thanks again, now off to the feed store to see if they have any vitamin supplements. (i wish i could take a video of her head thing and show you all.)

 

[robin416]

No need jumping to the pred for the bobble if this is heat related you'd be medicating for nothing. You've got plenty of time if this is not heat related.

Caught that FMS reference, I get injections. You are the first I've found who finds it effective.

 

[dlhunicorn]

only consider the prednisone if she gets seriously worse...
The vitE/selenium you will not find at your feed supply store...it is a human supplement...I have been told that agway and walmart carry it so it should be fairly easy to find at a drugstore or healthfood store (if they have these supplements)... it is either 200 or 400 IU of vitE combined with 50 MICROgrams of selenium...
The avia charge is truly one of the few complete nutritional supplements I have run across formulated especially for poultry in the correct ratios to each other as recommended by the NRC (this is what commercial feed formulations are based on)...

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

dlhunicorn and Robin,

Thanks, i will not jump to the pred for Baby Buff at this point. She seems to be doing okay, eating, drinking and all - but head bobbing still. i will look for the vitamins at the drugstore tomorrow.

 

[GloriaH]

I too have a baby Buff Silkie. She is holding her head completley upside down at times. She is eating and drinking well. At times she holds her head up just fine. She seems healthy. Do you think Poultry Nutri - Drench would help? She is being kept in the house with this Tennessee heat wave going on. All the other chicks are fine. Her ear on that side of her head seems to bother her.

 

[dlhunicorn]

if htat is only possibility yes it would help...they will eat less and the vitamins are advised in times of heat stress... be sure to use electrolytes in the waterer...

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

So sorry for your baby buff. i wonder how common this weird head thing is. i've never heard of Nutri-drench. i wonder if that's better than the avia-charge. i'm still waiting for that to arrive from Murry McMurray. In the meantime she's getting Quik Chik with electrolytes and vitamins. i have her inside with a couple buddies, and thank goodness the heat is breaking a bit. i love them all but can't wait until they are back out causing havoc with the rest of the flock. Although i'm wondering if her head condition was caused by one teeny but mean little silkie who's trying to be boss by pecking everyone else into submission.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I looked it up and no it is not...the avia charge is more complete and the poultry drench uses the selenite/selenate form of selenium which is no longer advised for poultry/virds as they can only utilize max 30% of it and the rest is retained ... the yeast form/selenomethionine is now advised and this is used in the aviacharge....