Wry Neck?

[melinda342]

I found a silkie chick in Atwood's bantam bin yesterday. I noticed its bending and twisting its neck in ways I don't think it should and walking backwards when it does that. But it only does it every once in a while usually when I pick it up. Otherwise, it seems pretty healthy and is eating and drinking just fine. Can/how should I treat it?

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes that sounds like wry neck which is a symptom of a neurological condition caused by either heredity, vitamin deficiency in the parent stock, a head injury, or a disease such as Mareks, Newcastles, and others. I would give her PolyVisol without iron baby vitamins 2-3 drops daily or chicken vitamins in the water. Vitamin E, selenium, and prednisone can also be used in addition. Here is some reading for you:
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html
http://oureggbasket.blogspot.com/2013/04/wry-neck-or-crook-neck-understanding-it.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck

 

[melinda342]

What should the dosage sizes be for Vitamin E and selenium? Is there a way to tell the chances of survival for my chick. I'm going to be pretty unhappy if I lose this one. I've been looking for a silkie for a while now and just happened to find this one.

 

[Eggcessive]

What should the dosage sizes be for Vitamin E and selenium? Is there a way to tell the chances of survival for my chick. I'm going to be pretty unhappy if I lose this one. I've been looking for a silkie for a while now and just happened to find this one.

It's at the bottom of the Browneggblueegg link in post #2. Silkies can be prone to head injuries and wry neck because some have vaulted skulls which have kind of a soft spot that can be injured. I hope she gets better soon. Go to the top of the page and enter "wry neck" in the Search, Discussions, Articles, and More box, and you will find lots of threads to read. Good luck with your chick.

 

[melinda342]

I'm a little confused. I found in another thread to not give Poly vi sol in combination with the vitamin E/selenium because it will negatively affect the uptake of the vitamin E. Also, I could not find a vitamin E with selenium so I just bought them separate. I found a water soluble vitamin E capsule and a 200mcg Selenium tablet. How much of each should I give considering most of the information I've found is for full grown chicks? Is it ok to give the vit E/Selenium with the Poly vi Sol? If so, how much? I'd rather not have to separate the chick from the rest if not needed, so is it ok to give poly vi sol to all the chicks?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would follow the blue egg link. Just make sure you are giving viamin B1or thiamine, vitamin E, and 25 mcg of selenium daily since those are the important ones for wry neck.

 

[melinda342]

So, I'm giving him 1 Vitamin E 400 IU capsule mixed with 25mcg of Selenium, 3 drops of Poly vi sol, and a little water to think it out. I'm giving him 1 dose of that spread out 2-3 times a day from a dropper. Does this sound right or should I change anything? When would be the soonest I would start to see improvement?

 

[Eggcessive]

So, I'm giving him 1 Vitamin E 400 IU capsule mixed with 25mcg of Selenium, 3 drops of Poly vi sol, and a little water to think it out. I'm giving him 1 dose of that spread out 2-3 times a day from a dropper. Does this sound right or should I change anything? When would be the soonest I would start to see improvement?

I think you could drop down to once a day for the polyvisol.. Here is the browneggblueegg dosage recommendation--others may do it differently:

My Treatment for Crookneck

If started before symptoms get severe, the bird will totally recover. The following is for an adult about 2 pound bird. Scale back for smaller birds. Do not over do the selenium; it is toxic in large amounts. Animals are more tolerant of vitamin E especially and of vitamin B.

• For the first week I give
  • Once a day
    • About 1/4 piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human B liquid vitamins
    • :25 micrograms selenium
  • Twice a day
    • 2.5 mg of prednisone
    • 400 IU of vitamin E
• For the second week I give
  • Once a day
    • 2.5 mg of prednisone
    • 400 IU of vitamin E
    • About 1/4 piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human B liquid vitamins
  • Every other day
    • :25 micrograms selenium
• For the third and following weeks I give
  • Once a day
    • 2.5 mg of prednisone - less and less each day - none after third week
    • 400 IU of vitamin E
    • A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
  • Once a week
    • :25 micrograms selenium

 

[melinda342]

The Selenium pills I have are 200mcgs and I've been cuttting them into 1/8 pieces so they aren't getting much smaller. Would it be better it give him the 25mcg selenium every other day or would that still be too much? Actually is 400 IU of Vitamin E a day too much for a chick?

 

[Eggcessive]

Since there is E in the Polyvisol, probably once a day is good. As for the selenium, what you are doing giving an eighth is probably in the ball park. You could test one to see if it is water soluble- and dissolve it in 10 ml of hot water. Then draw it up in a syringe (mix it well before) and give 1 ml which should equal 40mcg. This is just what some people have found that works.