Hen dying. Neck bent/twisted. Falls and Flops.

[1lpoock]

I went back to put the chickens away today and noticed one still out in the pen. She was laying with her head and neck bent under her breast with her eyes closed. She was still breathing so we went in and every time we touched her she flopped around and rolled. One time she opened her eyes and slightly stood up. Then she started walking, while she walked slow she kept tilting her head up like she was looking at a hawk in the sky. She then just fell down and flopped around again. I'm pretty sure she will die by morning. What could be wrong, no other chickens seem to have anything wrong? I did just notice some scratch I threw out didn't get eaten and has some mold on it, I quickly raked it out. Could this be what happened. I just noticed the mold today and it can't be any older than a day old out there....please help?

P.S. The hen is just over a year and she is a red sex-link. Also, I don't see any droppings around her so I couldn't tell you what they look like.

 

[jen5680]

She has croock neck, do a search on it and you will find lots of helpful info.
In the mean time start giving her LOTS of vit E about 4 or 5 a day is what the
vet told me. Liquid vit E, poke the end with a sharp pin and squirt in in her mouth.
good luck!

 

[newtochick]

I am no expert, but I had a chick that this happened to, or something that sounded like it, she did die I am sad to say. Look up stargazer or stargazing in the forums, thats what everyone said my chick had. If it is there is a vitamin called poly-vi-sol (baby vitamin drops) that everyone recommended for her, they think it may be caused from not having enough vitamins. Again I am new to chickens, it just sounds like what one of mine had. Good luck!

 

[1lpoock]

I think thats probably what it is, however, she will not move at all unless I bother her than she walks backwards a bit or flops around..its so sad.

 

[geosheets]

Quote:
Alan Stanford has a treatment plan for crookneck... it involves steroids that your vet can prescribe, vitamin E, selenium (to increase absorption of VitE), and I think a B complex and maybe a few other things... the link to the complete article is below.

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html

 

[drumstick diva]

My friend has a silky that went thru that, twisted neck, wouldn't raise the head. He walked back wards , did cart wheels etc. He also had seizures and would get very hot to the touch. The vit.e and polyvisol(no iron) did improve the situation somewhat. That was about a year ago, she still has him and he discovered he is a rooster and drives her one silky hen crazy. He can't fly tho, he lacks the coordination and he still has seizures and hot flashes or whatever. She cools him down with water and puts him in a dog crate till he gets over it. The hen hides or else flies up on something since he can't reach her then.

I think he had brain damage because he has seizures and fever. I've never heard of ones with crook neck having that. I suggested she go to a vet who might give him steroids to help but, she refused.