The Poultry Keeper

chicken_house_man · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 100 Location: Brynmawr

I found one of my hen slaying on the floor of the house this morning, head turned 180 degs from normall (looking at the ceiling) She looked like shed been there for a while. shes's now runnning about, eating and drinking, preening herself but still with crocked neck. She seems to be able to do all the normal chicken things but her natural head position is still turned to the right a lot.

Any ideas what's happened?

Knobby · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 11:33 am Post subject:

How strange ? Ive never heard of anything like that before....is she acting "Ok" ?

Aussie Chick · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 12:00 pm Post subject:

Maybe a little too much Friday night Vino??....Honestly, I don't know.

poultry poofs · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:48 pm Post subject:

We had a hen that went like that,it was fine one day and appeared to have no control of its head the next.It was blundering into everything and unable to feed or drink so we culled it.I am not sure what causes it.
I know when its found in new born chicks its due to a deficiency in the diet of the adult bird that laid the eggs. There is nothing that can be done and the affected chick has to be culled Sad

out of the hundreds of chicks we have reared its only affected one of our chicks with no obvious reasons as all the other eggs from the same adult developed properly and were unaffected. It just happens unfortunately.

rich

chicken_house_man · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 100 Location: Brynmawr

She appears to have control, she's still running around with the other hens, eating and drink. She almost looks like she's been necked. Do they ever have strokes? or Maybe she just fell of the perch?

poultry poofs · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 6:17 pm Post subject:

They have strokes heart attacks etc just the same as people.They dont normally injure themselves in that way falling its usually a damaged wing or leg in a short fall where they havnt had time to extend their wings.
Have they access to plenty of grit as they need essential vitamins from their food and if they have no available grit they cant extract these from their food. Our affected bird was completely unable to feed or drink or swallow so we felt it was kinder to cull her.If your bird is feeding and drinking it may recover.I would love to know the answer too Confused

rich

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

What sort of hen is she?

Does it look anything like this?

Debs

CP · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject:

I think there is a condition called wryneck, but don't know anything about it.

Sure I read it in one of my old books. I'll see if I can find it later. Wink

debcat · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:55 pm Post subject:

I know theres something on PP about silkies being prone to this
can't remember what causes it or the treatment

poultry poofs · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 8:14 pm Post subject:

Thats what its coloquially called- wryneck- but it usually affects chicks and is as a result of mineral deficiency in the adult egg layer.I have no idea what causes the problem in older birds.There was a section on PP which had this condition explained unfortunately this part disappeared when the forum closed for restructuring last year.Try asking chicken smuggler he might know. Confused