2 day old chick holding its head cocked slightly to the side.

[SarahLadd]

Do I need to be concerned about this? I have a barbu de watermael chick who's keeping its head lilted slightly to one side like a puppy hearing a funny sound.

 

[azygous]

Vitamin E deficiency is common is dome headed chicks. Give it E 400iu oil squeezed into soft boiled egg until you see it recover completely.

 

[SarahLadd]

Vitamin E deficiency is common is dome headed chicks. Give it E 400iu oil squeezed into soft boiled egg until you see it recover completely.

I used what I had on hand. I have a product called "poultry cell" made by rooster booster. It contains vitamin E and selenium, both purported to help crested breeds. I administered via directions on the bottle to their water and everybody seems to be drinking it without issue.

I've had a bit of discussion on this subject with someone much more intimately familiar with this breed. Supposedly, my birds are European import stock, from Greenfire Farms. Without knowing where, specifically, it's hard to say what is genetically contained within them, but being as the breed is some 400 years old the assumption is that their genes are a bit more homogenous.

American watermael are a product of breeding silkies with barbu d'anvers. Silkies have a problem with wry neck, when they're born and when they are about to lay, because of the fat pad on top of the head. This fat pad can put pressure on the brain and cause neurological issues like wry neck. It's a genetic issue, not a vitamin deficiency issue. Birds like the Polish get their crest from a knobbed or domed skull which is a fault in Watermael, a small fat pad is desired to achieve appropriate size crest.

As such, if my watermael contain american watermael genetics, or silkie genetics, it's very possible that this chick is experiencing a neurological condition as a result of this crappy homozygous silkie crest thing. In which case, vitamins won't do squat. I can then only wait, and see if it improves, and if it doesn't, I have to consider culling a 50 dollar chick.