how to treat a newly hatched chick with wry neck...?

[blondie34]

I've read up on wry neck and I'm fairly certain that's what's ailing the poor little thing...

It can barely pick up its head or walk and it hatched 9 hours ago.. it also walks backwards with its head hanging between its legs and every once and a while takes a roll. It just recently opened its eyes as well.

I've found a "recipe" for a medicine to make her/him and ran up to the drug store and got Vitamin E, Selenium, Pedialite, and Polyvisol

What I'm curious is that all of the mixtures/proportions I could find are for adult or bigger birds... not less than day old little silkie

Has anyone ever treated such a young chick with wry neck? How should I mix it and how often should I give it to the chick?

THANK YOU!

 

[FeatheredFreind]

I've read up on wry neck and I'm fairly certain that's what's ailing the poor little thing... It can barely pick up its head or walk and it hatched 9 hours ago.. it also walks backwards with its head hanging between its legs and every once and a while takes a roll. It just recently opened its eyes as well. I've found a "recipe" for a medicine to make her/him and ran up to the drug store and got Vitamin E, Selenium, Pedialite, and Polyvisol What I'm curious is that all of the mixtures/proportions I could find are for adult or bigger birds... not less than day old little silkie

Has anyone ever treated such a young chick with wry neck? How should I mix it and how often should I give it to the chick? THANK YOU!

I am no expert by far but I had a similar situation with a new silkie chick. I used vit E gel caps and put in beak 2-3 times a day. I also put a drop of baby poly vit without iron in water with electrolites and mash; kept it really wet so I could get it to come out of the dropper and feed the chick every two hours. It took a few days but my chick did fully recover. I still to this day add vitamin E to my silkie flocks treats about once a week. I wood try to feed your chick as often as possible. You'll be able to tell after a few times when your chick has had enough to be satisfied but it is important that you help your chick eat often until the chick is able to feed itself. Good Luck! Let us know how you make out.

 

[blondie34]

I am no expert by far but I had a similar situation with a new silkie chick. I used vit E gel caps and put in beak 2-3 times a day. I also put a drop of baby poly vit without iron in water with electrolites and mash; kept it really wet so I could get it to come out of the dropper and feed the chick every two hours. It took a few days but my chick did fully recover. I still to this day add vitamin E to my silkie flocks treats about once a week. I wood try to feed your chick as often as possible. You'll be able to tell after a few times when your chick has had enough to be satisfied but it is important that you help your chick eat often until the chick is able to feed itself. Good Luck! Let us know how you make out.

Awesome, I have all of those! For the vitamin E how much of the gel cap would you give to the chick each time? I don't want the little guy to overdose on anything .. So you only put one drop of poly vit in with its food? Oh dear .. I gave it a full drop of it in its little mouth already

hopefully it didn't hurt him!


How long did it take for your chick to recover? I'll be out of town for a day this weekend and ideally I'd like for the little guy to be eating on its own so I don't need to hire a chick sitter lol I might just have to though..

 

[minihorse927]

Whenever I get one that hatches with wry neck I always does them ASAP with polyvisol. The one without iron in it. I do 2 drops 2X's a day and when they get a little bigger I increase to 3 drops 2X's a day. Generally within 2 weeks I have them cured. If they are really bad and cannot eat or drink on their own I will hand feed them scrambled eggs drop water down their beak. I have even done this on ducks with wry neck. The pekin ducks just use a lot more polyvisol.

 

[blondie34]

Whenever I get one that hatches with wry neck I always does them ASAP with polyvisol. The one without iron in it. I do 2 drops 2X's a day and when they get a little bigger I increase to 3 drops 2X's a day. Generally within 2 weeks I have them cured. If they are really bad and cannot eat or drink on their own I will hand feed them scrambled eggs drop water down their beak. I have even done this on ducks with wry neck. The pekin ducks just use a lot more polyvisol.

That makes me feel a lot better that is curable - hopefully it clears up soon the poor little thing is just so lethargic.. it didn't seem to mind the dropper so that's good!

 

[FeatheredFreind]

I would do two drops twice a day too. I believe I started to see improvement in 3-4 days but I still gave my chick extra E on her treats for weeks. Now that she free ranges everyday I only do extra vitamins once a week and always on a treat I know they all will eat. I know that people say you shouldn't feed your chickens canned corn but my silkies say B>S> to that they love it so every sunday i'll drain the water off and mix 5-6 vitamin E caps threw it and as soon as they see me with that can they all come running as fast as their little legs will take them. My roos will let my hens eat and go without usually but when it is corn each bird is out for their self. I know that corn can yellow a white bird but when you had to see that bird with wry neck then who cares, It is healthy and happy. It has been a while but I believe my bird was eating on her own just fine by the sixth day. He head still jerks when she is nervous but that just reminds me to treat them on sundays with corn and vitamin E.

 

[blondie34]

I would do two drops twice a day too. I believe I started to see improvement in 3-4 days but I still gave my chick extra E on her treats for weeks. Now that she free ranges everyday I only do extra vitamins once a week and always on a treat I know they all will eat. I know that people say you shouldn't feed your chickens canned corn but my silkies say B>S> to that they love it so every sunday i'll drain the water off and mix 5-6 vitamin E caps threw it and as soon as they see me with that can they all come running as fast as their little legs will take them. My roos will let my hens eat and go without usually but when it is corn each bird is out for their self. I know that corn can yellow a white bird but when you had to see that bird with wry neck then who cares, It is healthy and happy. It has been a while but I believe my bird was eating on her own just fine by the sixth day. He head still jerks when she is nervous but that just reminds me to treat them on sundays with corn and vitamin E.

That's an awesome idea! hopefully my little chick makes it and I can start giving my flock that treat.. it'd take quite a bit of corn though since I've got about 40 birds I give treats to lol I like to cook up the "bad" or dirty eggs that don't buff clean to them - I try to give them at least one hot meal a week and that's usually the scrambled up ugly eggs

As for my little sickly chick it started to attempt to pick its head up with is an improvement from it just lying around pushing its head between its legs hopefully it makes a full recovery.. it's a Splash silkie roo x a buff silkie hen and the chick is pretty cool looking.. it looks like a splash chick but with buff spots all over it - kind of camouflage looking!

 

[realsis]

When it comes to wry neck patience is the key. I'm nursing my silkie with wry neck right now.its going on two weeks for me. mines not a chick but 6 months old
I'm doing everything your doing and using predinsone. At first she couldn't even eat herself. Now she's eating and drinking when I hold the bowl up to her. She will hold her head up to feed otherwise.its between her legs. I give her food and water every two to three hours. I give vitaminE and vitimanB and selenium and polyvisol without iron and predinsone. sometimes they can be slow to heal but it can be done. I wish you the best and hope your bird recovers soon.good luck

 

[FeatheredFreind]

I would do two drops twice a day too. I believe I started to see improvement in 3-4 days but I still gave my chick extra E on her treats for weeks. Now that she free ranges everyday I only do extra vitamins once a week and always on a treat I know they all will eat. I know that people say you shouldn't feed your chickens canned corn but my silkies say B>S> to that they love it so every sunday i'll drain the water off and mix 5-6 vitamin E caps threw it and as soon as they see me with that can they all come running as fast as their little legs will take them. My roos will let my hens eat and go without usually but when it is corn each bird is out for their self. I know that corn can yellow a white bird but when you had to see that bird with wry neck then who cares, It is healthy and happy. It has been a while but I believe my bird was eating on her own just fine by the sixth day. He head still jerks when she is nervous but that just reminds me to treat them on sundays with corn and vitamin E.

That's an awesome idea! hopefully my little chick makes it and I can start giving my flock that treat.. it'd take quite a bit of corn though since I've got about 40 birds I give treats to lol I like to cook up the "bad" or dirty eggs that don't buff clean to them - I try to give them at least one hot meal a week and that's usually the scrambled up ugly eggs  

As for my little sickly chick it started to attempt to pick its head up with is an improvement from it just lying around pushing its head between its legs   hopefully it makes a full recovery.. it's a Splash silkie roo x a buff silkie hen and the chick is pretty cool looking.. it looks like a splash chick but with buff spots all over it - kind of camouflage looking!

Sounds like a pretty bird. You should post a pic!

 

[blondie34]

When it comes to wry neck patience is the key. I'm nursing my silkie with wry neck right now.its going on two weeks for me. mines not a chick but 6 months old
I'm doing everything your doing and using predinsone. At first she couldn't even eat herself. Now she's eating and drinking when I hold the bowl up to her. She will hold her head up to feed otherwise.its between her legs. I give her food and water every two to three hours. I give vitaminE and vitimanB and selenium and polyvisol without iron and predinsone. sometimes they can be slow to heal but it can be done. I wish you the best and hope your bird recovers soon.good luck

thank you very much! and good luck to you as well!... this may sound like a silly question but can my other chicks catch wry neck from this one? He/she is separated from the rest but is in a cage right next to them so it doesn't get lonely..