wry neck in Pheasants

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

How common is it for other people? Seems like we get 1 or 2 every season.

Steve

 

[turkaholic]

I have two this year also. They are about 5 weeks old now and walk around with their necks bent and heads almost turned over. I should have culled them in the beginning, but they eat and drink, so I'll let them get to size. Then it's off to freezer camp. Not good for breeding or selling.

I think it is due to the egg getting a little to much heat during the head/neck development stage, as it does with the crooked toes. Some say genetic. Who knows?

 

[Bantam Bodon]

Ya we always seem to get one every once in a while, they can make it to adult hood but there isnt much to say after that.

 

[TanithT]

Given that some of the causes of this symptom are potentially contagious to other birds, culling/separating seems advisable, and maybe a herd health check on a representative animal or on the pen itself.

Depending on where you are in the state (I'm in Raleigh across from NCSU campus) I could do some basic microscopy, gross necropsy and a blood workup to see if there's anything notable going on in your coop. I am very fond of pheasant, and if I'm handed over a nice dinner sized bird, it's not that much extra trouble for me to run the processing as a necropsy and get the vet gear out. I'm a tech, and primarily a reptile specialist, but I own a small zoo vet clinic's set of equipment.

 

[Birch Run Farm]

I have found this to be a result of stress, generally from hatchling status. I've had it happen in chickens. If they don't eat when they should they seem to get this condition. it is a nutritional issue. Liquid baby vitamins fixes the issue very quickly, just put a couple of drops in their mouths for a few days.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Ours don't have it from hatch, it starts at a month old -ish. They are all eating the same food so I wouldn't think its feed related. If the % was higher I would be looking into the feed but 1 or 2 out of 100? It will be interesting to see next year as we are growing out another batch of breeders from a different source.

Steve

 

[Birch Run Farm]

Give them the vitamins, it is stress related and it can show up after a few weeks of age.