Wryneck

[27feathers]

Hello! Earlier today my mother noticed one of my chickens seems to have wryneck. I’m not sure what to do about, or if there’s anything I can do. Please help

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is the chicken? Pictures can be helpful. Wry neck is a neurological symptom, and can be common after a head or neck injury, a vitamin E or B1 thiamine deficiency, and is sometimes seen in diseases that affect the brain, including Mareks disease.

Vitamin E 400 IU and a 1/2 crushed vitamin B complex can be given once a day. A few bits of scrambled egg are good to give some selenium. Other symptoms with wry neck can include walking backwards or in circles, or flipping over. Depending on how serious it is, she may need to be hand fed several times a day and separated from other chickens if she is being picked on.

 

[27feathers]

How old is the chicken? Pictures can be helpful. Wry neck is a neurological symptom, and can be common after a head or neck injury, a vitamin E or B1 thiamine deficiency, and is sometimes seen in diseases that affect the brain, including Mareks disease.

Vitamin E 400 IU and a 1/2 crushed vitamin B complex can be given once a day. A few bits of scrambled egg are good to give some selenium. Other symptoms with wry neck can include walking backwards or in circles, or flipping over. Depending on how serious it is, she may need to be hand fed several times a day and separated from other chickens if she is being picked on.

she’s fairly young we think, we got her and a few others in the spring when they were kind of young. She keeps her head like that or upside down and grinds it against her back. I’ve gotten her to eat a little applesauce and a bit of water, but that’s it

 

[Mtnboomer]

My vote is unfortunately Mareks. I hope im wrong and its just a guess. Was she vaccinated to rule MD out? Try vitamin supplements if you choose but be patient as it can take awhile to correct wry neck.
Odds are against you though. If it is MD, euthanize if she cant feed and drink on her own or move around.

Good news is the meat is perfectly edible. Bad news is MD is highly contagious. So if one bird has it they all do. Some birds become symptomatic and some live long lives with no sign. But the virus is in the birds dander and can hang around for years after your birds are gone.

 

[Eggcessive]

Is she able to stand and walk normally, and is she having any trouble with her balance? Mixing some chicken feed with a lot of water, and bits of cooked egg in a small bowl can be good to feed. Some chickens may need to be held and wrapped in a towel to feed. Here is a video:

 

[27feathers]

My vote is unfortunately Mareks. I hope im wrong and its just a guess. Was she vaccinated to rule MD out? Try vitamin supplements if you choose but be patient as it can take awhile to correct wry neck.
Odds are against you though. If it is MD, euthanize if she cant feed and drink on her own or move around.

Good news is the meat is perfectly edible. Bad news is MD is highly contagious. So if one bird has it they all do. Some birds become symptomatic and some live long lives with no sign. But the virus is in the birds dander and can hang around for years after your birds are gone.

god I hope it isn’t that. I’m going to probably isolate her tonight anyway so she doesn’t get stepped on and such. If she/they do have it, what steps should I take to ensure their coop would be free from it so I could get new chicks come spring?

 

[27feathers]

Is she able to stand and walk normally, and is she having any trouble with her balance? Mixing some chicken feed with a lot of water, and bits of cooked egg in a small bowl can be good to feed. Some chickens may need to be held and wrapped in a towel to feed. Here is a video:

she seems to have trouble with her balance. Thank you for the feeding advice

 

[Mtnboomer]

god I hope it isn’t that. I’m going to probably isolate her tonight anyway so she doesn’t get stepped on and such. If she/they do have it, what steps should I take to ensure their coop would be free from it so I could get new chicks come spring?

Clean and disinfect it THOROUGHLY. all nooks and crannies. Anywhere dust can be. But in reality, you are not likely to achieve complete sterilization and all new incoming birds will need to be vaccinated.

My flock is not vaccinated and we delt with mareks last spring. We had a closed flock between us and 2 other friends. An outside bird was introduced that had been vaccinated yet died, tested positive for MD, and soon later we lost 2 3 mo old chicks and a hen to it.
A chicken can live for years with MD and seem fine. Open it up and its full of tumors. Or it can be symptomatic. Young birds are most susceptible or likely to be symptomatic.
In either event, if you decide to euthanize or it should pass, have it necropsied to be sure.

 

[Eggcessive]

I wouldn’t add any unvaccinated chicks to your flock at this time. Hopefully, it is not Mareks, just wry neck. Time will tell, but don’t treat this as a diagnosis. Treat her with the vitamin E and thiamine (B1) for a couple of weeks to see if she improves. If it was Mareks, all of your chickens have been exposed from the same source she was. They will be considered carriers. Mareks can linger in the environment for months to years, and is spread by feather dander. If you lose her it would be best to get a necropsy by your state vet to test for Mareks. Here is some reading about Mareks:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext...Preventing Mareks Disease in Small Flocks.pdf

 

[27feathers]

Okay so update- she made it through the night and so far through the day- my mom gave her some water with vitamins this morning- just now I was kinda holding her head up and giving her some water, which she seemed good with, she seemed like she was kinda trying to get closer, but couldn’t. She opened her eyes some and her pupils seem normal, and her comb and wattles seem their normal color