# Help! Chicken neck problems



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

My faverolle just started having neck problems today she started with a very weak neck that she couldn't move well and it went away quickly now tonight when I went to get her her head was in her breast feathers and she can't hold it up she also cannot stand well and her neck keeps twitching do I straiten it? What could it be? Her crop is also very hard I need help ASAP!


----------



## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

First, separate that bird from the rest of your flock - IMMEDIATELY. Do not put it back in with the rest of the flock.

Secondly, I recently had a similar problem with one of my flock. It was a four week old chicken. Ultimately, we had to cull the bird. This was a first experience for me as well.

Click here and see if these images are similar to what you are experiencing with your bird.


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

Yeah she is separated and culling is killing right?


----------



## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

Yeah. Culling is killing - and personally, I don't have the heart to do it. Someone else has to do that job.

The one we had that starting having this problem only lived another 4 days, by the way. But, I have heard of some living a long time. Because I am trying to build a large flock here, I *cannot* afford massive losses. So, separating and culling is the only answer from now on. It was a lesson learned, by the way.


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

Yeah I'm just crossing my fingers that she will get better she got better after the episode this morning I'm concerned she may break her neck if she doesn't get better I may consider taking her to the vet to be put down it's always so hard though


----------



## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

The first thing we did, after noticing the chick with the problem, was to separate it. We put it in a box in the house and immediately started giving it vitamins by hand, mixed with the food, and in the water. For a while, the bird seemed to do much better.

I hope you have better luck than we did. Sorry to hear of your problems.


----------



## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

Need pictures because of lots of possibilities that run thru my mind.

Definitely quarantine hen. Give electrolyte/vitamin solution. Give access to water and simple foods (like traditional feeds and scratch and meal worms but not scraps and long grass).

Maybe crop bra if it's a impacted crop? If it's impacted crop you may have to massage the mess out (this is a 3 step process). Don't use acid, it makes it worse. Simple and not long scientific verison: A impacted crop is caused by a blocked something (typically gizzard). It is typically long spring grass that cause it but there are otheres. The crop would feel very hard. But this doesn't explain the head and it's never a primary solo problem. If it has a smell, it could also be the acidy fungal mess know as sour crop. http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/answers-from-chicken-vet-on-impacted.html

My other thought is Wry neck. Wry neck can be fixed with several hand feeding, hand watering and giving vitamin and electrolytes . There are 2 causes I know of, bad genetics or a vitamin deficiency. The head would be weak and would be weird looking. A previous poster linked pictures. From what I'm gathering of Chans_farm experience, they had the unfortunate recessive genetic form. But if it's an adult hen I think you have the vitamin form and the outlook is more hopeful for this one. The genetic form never seems to have a good outlook.

So i'm very unsure and need pictures to be accurate.


----------



## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

Sounds like wry neck which was suggested. Usually presents in younger birds and is completely fixed with the addition of vitamins. I had on this year that did it, she was never separated from the flock and after two weeks was completely back to normal. You'd never know she had it, but you need to give her time. Wry neck is a vitamin deficiency and it will kill the bird if untreated, and if treated it takes a little while to get the bird back on track. This is not contagious and if you've other chicks with it you need to look at your feeding program, or the parents of those chicks to see if they have genetic absorption issues.

I've never had experience with an older bird with this, but for that I would separate as the other birds sometimes "weed out the weak" and that is really not pretty. 

What kind of vitamins is she on?


----------



## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

hellofromtexas said:


> Need pictures because of lots of possibilities that run thru my mind.
> 
> Definitely quarantine hen. Give electrolyte/vitamin solution. Give access to water and simple foods (like traditional feeds and scratch and meal worms but not scraps and long grass).


Scratch I would not give, it's a high carb and low nutrient food and therefore will fill your hen up and not add anything of value to her system. Scratch is a treat, it is not a feed.


----------



## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

Fiere said:


> Scratch I would not give, it's a high carb and low nutrient food and therefore will fill your hen up and not add anything of value to her system. Scratch is a treat, it is not a feed.


Treats are treats and food is food....

Older hens wry neck is caused by a vitamin b complex deficiency. The said hen with wry neck fertile eggs are not recommended for hatching (the said chicks may have a vitamin b problem which will show up slightly different). It may take a month or 2. And it's giving the hen a liquid vitamin till it can eat on it's own and add vitamin to food/water and hand feeding and wattering. It's not a hard treatment (don't overdose to get faster results, it doesn't work). It's not contagious but it's best to watch the hen hence quarantine.

The recessive genetic one will show up as chicks and will not be able to be corrected with treatment. It may be improved with treatment but not corrected. There is a 25% chance of this with both birds having the recessive gene.


----------



## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

*hellofromtexas*,
Our bird's symptoms occurred at 4 weeks of age. Was that, in your opinion, most likely a recessive gene?


----------



## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

hellofromtexas said:


> Treats are treats and food is food....
> 
> Older hens wry neck is caused by a vitamin b complex deficiency. The said hen with wry neck fertile eggs are not recommended for hatching (the said chicks may have a vitamin b problem which will show up slightly different). It may take a month or 2. And it's giving the hen a liquid vitamin till it can eat on it's own and add vitamin to food/water and hand feeding and wattering. It's not a hard treatment (don't overdose to get faster results, it doesn't work). It's not contagious but it's best to watch the hen hence quarantine.
> 
> The recessive genetic one will show up as chicks and will not be able to be corrected with treatment. It may be improved with treatment but not corrected. There is a 25% chance of this with both birds having the recessive gene.


Yes, treats are treats and food is food, so there is no reason to suggest to someone who's bird is exhibiting signs of severe vitamin deficiency to feed them food which are low in nutritional content. That is bad advice. It's even worse advice to suggest to feed that to a bird who may have an impacted crop, which you've also suggested this bird may have. You are new to chickens and taking in a lot of information and are eager to share what you've read. I understand that. But you need to make sure what you are telling people to do is the correct thing for them to do.

Chans_Farm, most chicks who exhibit symptoms of wry neck are not genetically predisposed to absorption issues. They more so are lower birds in the pecking order and have been pushed away from the food dish one too many times, some have just a little harder time digesting what they need in their new systems. Once they get treated for a week or two with additional supplementation they will likely never show signs of it again, in themselves or their brood.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

2rain said:


> My faverolle just started having neck problems today she started with a very weak neck that she couldn't move well and it went away quickly now tonight when I went to get her her head was in her breast feathers and she can't hold it up she also cannot stand well and her neck keeps twitching do I straiten it? What could it be? Her crop is also very hard I need help ASAP!


2rain, could you please post a pic of the bird posturing? What you are describing and our brains are seeing could be two different things.

I've seen it suggested you start the bird on vitamins. I agree with that until we can see if what you are describing matches what we think it might be. Leave off the treats for her. If this is a vitamin deficiency she needs to be on a balanced diet which is what her feed provides.

If your girl is able to eat and drink without your assistance and is not in a free ranging flock, I would leave her with them. The stress of being alone can be very hard on them.

One other thing to look at, your feed. Does it look different to you? Is it older than a couple of months? How does it smell?


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

I did determine it was wry neck after lots of research she's doing lots better today but I'm still putting her on vitamins last night she needed my help to drink and eat but now she can by herself


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

2rain said:


> I did determine it was wry neck after lots of research she's doing lots better today but I'm still putting her on vitamins last night she needed my help to drink and eat but now she can by herself


Do not think she is over the hump if that's what it is. They can have good days and then bam, she's right back where she was.

For certain, keep her on the vitamins for at least a week.

Then you need to see if you can figure out why it happened. If this bird is older than a few months old you should not being seeing it.


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

It is young and I have started vitamins like poly vi sol and vitamin e caplets but I'm not sure how much to give her she is around 8 or 9 weeks so maybe a third of a dropper full? And how many caplets a day in her food?


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

I think this is the best pic I can get she seems to be better for a while right after I give her the poly vi sol


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

Also I'm not sure how many times a night I should give her the vi sol from what I gathered I have been giving it to her 3 times a day and about 1/3 full of a dropper


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Twice a day is recommended, you don't want to over do because some vitamins do build up in the body and can cause problems. 1/3 is how many drops? I would probably go with half a dropper. This isn't easy since I don't have any sitting here in front of me. That should be about 5 drops.

If she is not tucking you can mix the vitamins in to some wet food. A little more tasty for her and easier for you. If she's hesitant put some in a shiny spoon, they seem to like the shiny surface.


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

Okay and it's probably a little less than 5 drops I'll start trying that today


----------



## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

*2rain*, how is your chicken doing?


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

She's doing really good thanks guys! She straitened out very quickly while on the vitamins


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If you can, keep watch. See if she's being bullied away from the feeder.

BTW, that's really good news.


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

Okay so I went out today and found her very cold and not able to move much and she's all puffed up and I'm not sure but I think she was bleeding from her nose because there is dry blood she is breathing but otherwise there are no other signs of life I have her on a heating pad is there anything else I can do for her?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Sorry, not enough info to do much more than you already have. Maybe some unflavored pedialyte. Warm dish of feed. 

This certainly sounds like you've got trouble in the coop. 

You never actually said how old she is. Is she old enough to be laying? Have you checked her crop? Check her, gently, all over her body for any other possible injuries.


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

No she's not old enough to lay and I have just found some small cuts on her which I think are from the coop wire and it's her and one other chick I have had problems with nobody else and I have 13 chickens not counting chicks all healthy it's just these two little boogers


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

Oh and I can't get anything down her without her choking and her jaw seems to be somewhat locked


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Can you do a pic of your set up? It just does not sound right that this came from wire if there are no sharp ends pointing in to their area. 

Is the other chick a buddy? Are they separated from the rest of the flock for a reason? 

What does her crop feel like? If its empty then do the wet mash to encourage her to eat. Give her light to hunker under to try to get her temp back up. 

This really sounds like something is terrorizing her. It could be the other bird, it could be coming from outside.


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

She had no access to the other birds she was separated with wire that wasn't sharp but I think she would rub on it and get cut but she passed this afternoon


----------



## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

I'm sorry for your loss


----------



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

Thank you


----------



## Chans_Farm (Apr 27, 2014)

Sorry, 2rain.


----------

