Wry Neck or something else?

[MizzClucker]

Our poor Toast. She is our favourite and my 4 year old sons pride and joy.

I started posting this on a different thread that was originally about something else but wasn’t get many responses. Although the ones I did get were very helpful, thanks ladies.

Noticed her this morning with a crooked neck and walking in circles. Her neck isn’t always crooked though, she CAN look both ways but is favouring the right for sure. Seems alert, tracks me with her eyes. Very slow and careful with her foot movements. I haven’t seen her eating or drinking all day. Bought some electrolyte plus for her. She won’t drink or eat. Brought her in tonight to syringe some electrolytes into her. Upon bringing her in I noticed her comb is turning dark in places and her wattles are a bit swollen and purplish. She seemed to perk up slightly after her first syringe full (3ml). Pecked at some scrambled eggs and spinach but didn’t actually eat any. I’m guessing she’s probably dehydrated but not sure how much to give. She started violently refusing her second syringe halfway through so I stopped. She’s probably had about 5ml total. She pooped on my tea towel and it looks runny but I’m no expert. I have nothing to keep her in my house and I think she’s getting overheated in here anyways as her mouth is now open, it wasn’t before. It’s -25 C outside and +22 C in the house. Check out the pics, what do you guys think?

 

[MizzClucker]

 

[ralleia]

It's definitely runny, which suggests that it's mostly urine and she isn't eating much solid food?
Any respiratory symptoms like wheezing, sneezing, or coughing?

 

[MizzClucker]

This is how she has been falling asleep in here. She straightens up again when you wake her but this obviously isn’t normal sleeping behaviour.

 

[MizzClucker]

It's definitely runny, which suggests that it's mostly urine and she isn't eating much solid food?
Any respiratory symptoms like wheezing, sneezing, or coughing?

Not one sneeze or cough.

She can even perch if I put her up there but you can tell she is straining to maintain her balance.

 

[N Sully]

Awe poor girl. I hope you get the information to try and help her.

 

[Chicken Poika]

I'm having the same issue. I read that she might be low on vitamin E and Selinium. I broke open a Vit. E liquid gel and squirted/dribbled it on her scrambled eggs and a little tuna. She ate quite a bit and I'll keep giving it to her until I see a change. Her first illness I believe is aspergillosis and again the info on here was to give her fluconazole 150 for yeast infection. She keeps scratching at her crop but I thought it was her ear. Anyway, I'll see what she's like in the morning.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think she has wry neck or torticolis. It is a neurological symptom of various problems, such as head injury, vitamin E or thiamine deficiency, Mareks disease or other viruses, and some may have a hereditary predisposition for developing it. Most people treat with a vitamin containing vitamin E, B1 or thiamine, and a little selenium ( or egg which contains selenium.) Since she may have some trouble getting enough food and water, you may want to mix water into her usual feed and hold her several times a day fo get her to eat out of a small bowl. Egg, rinsed tuna, and liver are good treats. Some chickens will respond to treatment and get better, but it is different in every one.

 

[MizzClucker]

I think she has wry neck or torticolis. It is a neurological symptom of various problems, such as head injury, vitamin E or thiamine deficiency, Mareks disease or other viruses, and some may have a hereditary predisposition for developing it. Most people treat with a vitamin containing vitamin E, B1 or thiamine, and a little selenium ( or egg which contains selenium.) Since she may have some trouble getting enough food and water, you may want to mix water into her usual feed and hold her several times a day fo get her to eat out of a small bowl. Egg, rinsed tuna, and liver are good treats. Some chickens will respond to treatment and get better, but it is different in every one.

They didn’t have any nutri-drench (I think that’s what you recommended) but I did get some Electrolytes Plus (the one with the highest amount of vitamin E)and did a crazy amount of math to dwindle it to a dose for the water jug I had, 3L. The package said dissolve entire package 400g into 750L of water. Say what....750L?!? Any-who she got about 6ml last night. How much should I be forcing into her?

 

[MizzClucker]

Update on Toast - I put her back in the coop last night and put her in a nesting box so she could use the sides for support and keep out of everyone’s way. When we went to do chores this morning she seems to be doing better. She was still up in the nesting box but perched on the edge. We brought her down to see if she could walk and she’s walking way better, still lifts her legs up super high and very careful with her steps. She even flew up to the bottom roost. Her head placement seems normal. However, her wattles are still a bit swollen and the area behind and in between her wattles are really swollen. It looks like she has swallowed a golf ball. But it’s super squishy andwobbly. She was shaking her head a bit so I think it’s bothering her. Does this usually happen with wry neck? Any thing more I can do for her? How often should I be forcing water with electrolytes into her? Should I be force feeding her something?