wry neck improving but will recovery be full

[Wyorp Rock]

I read a month, although sometimes it can be quick, but vit B complex is needed. Ours only was handfed the first week or so but then could eat fine if supported in a sitting vertical or an upright position. She just does not balance well, but eats great now. Don't give up yet

The symptoms you describe, I would lean toward your pullet having Marek's, but there's really no way to know unless she passes and you get a necropsy.
Vitamin therapy shouldn't be used long term.
I agree it is up to the individual keeper how long they want to continue to hand feed and/or offer supportive care to a sick bird.
A lot depends on their goals and what they suspect the bird may be ill from. If you are wanting to breed forward, then sick birds should not be bred, imho. You would also need to consider whether the bird is shedding a virus or has something that's contagious and can be passed to the flock.

I hope you see improvement soon, keep us posted.

 

[henhubble]

The symptoms you describe, I would lean toward your pullet having Marek's, but there's really no way to know unless she passes and you get a necropsy.
Vitamin therapy shouldn't be used long term.
I agree it is up to the individual keeper how long they want to continue to hand feed and/or offer supportive care to a sick bird.
A lot depends on their goals and what they suspect the bird may be ill from. If you are wanting to breed forward, then sick birds should not be bred, imho. You would also need to consider whether the bird is shedding a virus or has something that's contagious and can be passed to the flock.

I hope you see improvement soon, keep us posted.

I considered Mareks at first, but I don't think she would have improved as she did. Also the lady had bought more than 60 chicks, if it was Mareks, wouldn't quite a few of the others have developed symptoms? Mareks seems like a difficult disease to pin down. But the lady did say she did not have the chicks vaccinated.

 

[henhubble]

[QUOTE="Wyorp Rock, post: 21214691, member:
Thank you, Sometimes it seems like her neck gets stuck but only for half a minute thankfully, and she goes crazy and closes the one eye and stuggles as though almost scratching at that left side, but then it goes away. I wonder if her neck muscles are contracting although for a second it seems she could be choking. This is a new development and only happens maybe once a day.


Thanks, will see how much vit E in feed and try tuna and go from there.

Actually, I think this is her trying to scratch. Perhaps she has a mite or two on her head. We will look closer and powder her if needed. I did see a flea and we have two cats.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I considered Mareks at first, but I don't think she would have improved as she did. Also the lady had bought more than 60 chicks, if it was Mareks, wouldn't quite a few of the others have developed symptoms? Mareks seems like a difficult disease to pin down. But the lady did say she did not have the chicks vaccinated.

Actually, I think this is her trying to scratch. Perhaps she has a mite or two on her head. We will look closer and powder her if needed. I did see a flea and we have two cats.

No, not all birds within a flock will ever show symptoms of Marek's. It is a difficult disease. From what I understand from others that have it and manage it within their flock the symptoms can sometimes come/go and you may have a bird that "miraculously" gets better only to become symptomatic again.
I would check her for lice/mites and fleas if you think those are a possibility, could be the cause of scratching, but I would think she would scratch a lot and be picking at herself.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

 

[henhubble]

Thanks, I am still leaning towards wry neck but I will look more closely at her eyes. The trouble with Mareks is that the symptoms are so variable

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks, I am still leaning towards wry neck but I will look more closely at her eyes. The trouble with Mareks is that the symptoms are so variable

Wry Neck is a neurological symptom , it is not a disease in itself. It is seen in vitamin/nutritional deficiency, head trauma, disease like Marek's/ Avian Lymphoid Leukosis/Newcastle, infection, etc (list in the link below).
Supportive care like vitamins is generally always given to see if a bird will improve. It all depends on the reason behind the Wry Neck to begin with. Some birds recover over a period of time. If it's just from vitamin/nutritional deficiency, most birds respond really well and make a full recovery quickly.

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/wry-neck

 

[henhubble]

Thanks, a symptom! I don't think it had any head trauma. I will look at the list. She still continues to improve and is quite spritely although her balance is still off, but she can stand for a bit unsupported.

 

[archeryrob]

Our bird has her head up and eating and drinking on her own now. It was like the bird was faking and my daughter said "Eat and survive or else." and they bird understood and started eating. Her head is still cocked off to the right, so we shall see if she totally recovers, but she looked a lot more normal as soon as we stopped feeding her.

Our acted like the OP's bird did sometimes. The head is twisted and I think balance and perspective are thrown off. The bird would wildly flop around some times as it it had a nerve or muscle control problem.

 

[henhubble]

Our bird has her head up and eating and drinking on her own now. It was like the bird was faking and my daughter said "Eat and survive or else." and they bird understood and started eating. Her head is still cocked off to the right, so we shall see if she totally recovers, but she looked a lot more normal as soon as we stopped feeding her.

Our acted like the OP's bird did sometimes. The head is twisted and I think balance and perspective are thrown off. The bird would wildly flop around some times as it it had a nerve or muscle control problem.

ours can stand for a minute but she stays half crouched. we take her walking with support and her legs move correctly but there is a little twist to her neck and body

 

[archeryrob]

Ours took two weeks just about.