Wobbley head*Update* Resolved!

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Thank you dlhunicorn. You are wealth of information!

 

[GloriaH]

I was talking to the owner of the feed store today. He grew up on a poultry farm. He said this head thing is just something that happens every once in a while. I feed a complete chick starter with all the vitamins and minerals they need to grow. He said since it's not a desease and the chick can keep her head straight she should be just fine even if she never grows out of it, which she may. She even sleeps upside down. He was wondering if it might show up more in Silkies. I told him I thought I had one talanted chick. She of course will become a pet now as she watches TV with me in the evenings. Thanks for trying to help.

 

[robin416]

Silkies appear to be very sensitive to not getting enough of the nutrition their bodies call for, hence the bobble head routine. It is beginning to show up more in other breeds.

There have been long conversations with breeders regarding the problem and the general consensus is that manufacturers changing to soy protein as the sole source of protein is part of the cause. I know that this year my birds are on an animal based protein feed and have no sign of the bobble head problem even in our 110 degree heat.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i have read a bit about how soy is not so very good for people, or pets, as it has been proclaimed. After going vegetarian, i began eating a lot of soy, and noticed i was so tired and lethargic. A friend mentioned she read an article about soy interferring with thyroid function, and that it can inhibit the body's ability to assimilate thyroid medication. That's when i realized that how i was feeling was exactly how i felt when i forgot my thyroid medication a couple days in a row. After cutting down on the soy, i feel much better.

i guess i need to look into where to find animal based protein chicken feed. Do you find it locally Robin, or do you have to order it?

And Gloria, how i wish i could have my chickens sit on the couch and watch tv with us. Unfortunately, i have cats that would not appreciate it.

 

[GloriaH]

I actually have one cat who sits with us. I'm going to go over the list of ingredents in my chick starter to see how much of it is soy based.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i got my avia charge today. It smells really good, a little like chocolate. It makes the water look muddy, but if it helps, that's fine!

On a positive note, i finally got ALL my chicks outside today. Rather than try to integrate my 3 five-week-old silkies (including bobblehead) with the 10 six-week-old silkies, i put them with the 3 four-week-old frizzle/silkie/polish/japanese/mille fleur mixes. Seems like the two little groups are working out okay, and they are now sleeping together in our chick-n-barn (expensive prefab coop that none of the other chickens would dare venture into). i now see the possibility of getting my spare bedroom back.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Not sure if anyone is still watching this thread, but wanted to post an update. After getting all the chicks outside, i had to bring in the two youngest groups (including Bobblehead) when we went into a horrible triple digit heat wave.

i've been adding the avia charge to the water, and everyone seems to like it. However, Bobblehead is still bobbling. Plus, i see some definite red wattles coming in, so it is probably going to be a rooster.

i have no idea how i'm going to rehome a rooster with a neurological problem. :|

Maybe he will be so busy bobbling his head he won't have a chance to get upright to crow?

 

[aran]

airheart...sorry bout your bird...sounds like if this never improves he may be impossible to rehome and may be with you for good...otherwise he may need to go to the big coop in the sky.

By the way why are you taking prednisone for fibromyalgia?

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Hi Aran - You may be right about my rooster. We'll see, i have time to wait and see if he gets better or turns out to be a hen after all.

Why am i taking prednisone for fibro? It seems to put the pain and fatigue of my fibromyalgia into what feels like remission. i still experience pain and need to be careful so as not to overdo it. But without it, i would be pretty close to bedridden.

 

[aran]

The reason I ask about your prednisone is because the literature has shown no benefit to corticosteroids in fibromyalgia since the disease is not inflammatory in nature. In one trial published in "Rheumatology" ( real big medical journal) they suggested that if the patient experiences improvement with prednisone that perhaps there is an additional or alternative diagnosis that should be entertained. Placebo effect is the other possibility. The side effects of long term prednisone can be devastating is the only thing.