Wry neck? Plus ?eye problem help please.

[Rose3412]

Hi all, I'm a newby here but not a newby to chickens, however I have a new problem. When I got in from work late tonight around 9.30pm my son said one of the chickens (a 5 month old silkie bantam) was half in half out the coop. She was roosting on the doorstep so to speak. I immediately recognised a problem. She appeared to have wry neck but her eyes seemed crusty too.

I brought her into the conservatory and wiped her eyes with sterile water. It was not like an eye infection is or oozy but seemed to have a little old/dirty crusting, they were both also a bit out of control, a bit like a drunk! She seemed to be cured all of a sudden so decided to put her back in the coop when she lost control of her neck again. So I set her on a comfy dog bed in the conservatory for the night. She was so cute doing her usual little chat with me the whole time I was messing with her. They are all super friendly and handle able.

I have 3 hens that live free range in my garden all day everyday so have a great life and fed with layers in the morning with mixed corn in the afternoons and whatever else they seek out in the garden. So I would consider their diet rich and varied. So wry neck doesn't really fit, or could it be? She was out yesterday, I didn't see her out today due to work but she and had grains in her crop this evening and has normal poops still.

Any ideas/help very welcome. I don't want to lose any of them but she is my favourite

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

Both eyes were crusty? What do you mean like a drunk? How she was acting or?

Wry Neck is a neurological symptom. A few common causes are disease like Marek's, Vitamin Deficiency and head/neck trauma.

Diet could be an issue-hard to know. Are you girls laying eggs? For pullets not in lay, imho, I would stick with chick starter or an all flock type feed until all are actively laying eggs (layer feed). Corn is generally accepted as a treat, so I would scatter it as a treat instead of mixing it with their food.

Silkies seem to be more prone to have neurological symptoms may be due to the vaulted skull (hole in the skull). I would try vitamin therapy to see if that makes a difference. 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily. Give a little scrambled egg as a treat to help with the uptake of E.

 

[Rose3412]

Thanks so much for your reply Wyorp Rock, this morning she was back to her old self completely. It really was like she was drunk for the night! When I said drunk she was off balance with her neck upside down seemingly with no real control over it with her eyes rolling - hence the drunk remark yesterday.

Very odd indeed.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks so much for your reply Wyorp Rock, this morning she was back to her old self completely. It really was like she was drunk for the night! When I said drunk she was off balance with her neck upside down seemingly with no real control over it with her eyes rolling - hence the drunk remark yesterday.

Very odd indeed.

Glad she's doing better!