[Michele956]

I have a black silkie cockerell and 4 hens in a chicken arc.  There was a slight accident whereby my dog ran up to the arc and frightened the birds.  A few seconds later i noticed my cockerel lying motionless in the corner of the arc.  I picked him up and put him down in the pen and he could not get up and was moving his neck in an odd manner and rolling about unable to get up.   I warmed him up by the aga and held him for about 10-15 minutes then decided to take him to the Vet.  By the time i got him to the vet he was able to stand and starting pecking me which was a good sign, although still having the neck problem.  He is eating and pecking the ground and I am hoping that it is only a muscular problem that will rectify.

I am fairly certain that the bird did not have the problem prior to the accident and wondered if anyone had had a similar incident and whether the bird got back to normal.

[agapanthus]

It sounds to me like a muscular strain too! He should be fine  

[Jellyhead]

I have seen this more than once now at my house and a friends...it seems to be shock and then once they get warm and calm down they get back to normal :roll:

[Michele956]

Thankyou everyone... cockerel is much better today although he still has a very slight neck symptoms, almost back to normal.   in a few days i think he will be over it.  

[Kate and her Ducks]

Glad he is getting better.

[Michele956]

I have a black silkie cockerell and 4 hens in a chicken arc.  There was a slight accident whereby my dog ran up to the arc and frightened the birds.  A few seconds later i noticed my cockerel lying motionless in the corner of the arc.  I picked him up and put him down in the pen and he could not get up and was moving his neck in an odd manner and rolling about unable to get up.   I warmed him up by the aga and held him for about 10-15 minutes then decided to take him to the Vet.  By the time i got him to the vet he was able to stand and starting pecking me which was a good sign, although still having the neck problem.  He is eating and pecking the ground and I am hoping that it is only a muscular problem that will rectify.

I am fairly certain that the bird did not have the problem prior to the accident and wondered if anyone had had a similar incident and whether the bird got back to normal.

Sadly this bird went weird on me again... I thought it was getting better, but it stopped eating, wouldnt walk, wouldnt peck, or respond.  Its eyes were bright, looked normal from the head up, but just sat and wouldnt move.  In the end we had to despatch it, because it was literally starving itself to death, like it was paralysed from the neck down.

The story goes on, today, I have found a hen in a similar incident.  I thought it was sunbathing, but on closer inspection it was almost dead.  I had checked it in the morning and moved the arc over some grass which they were all enjoying... but a few hours later, she appears sick.  Presently i have placed her on some straw inside the hen house..if its shock we will see shortly, but she has her eyes closed which doesnt look good.  There hasnt been any outside stimulus that would have caused this and they have plenty of food and water.  My only conclusion is perhaps the cockerell tried to mount her and she panicked and ran into the wire.  At this rate I wont have any eggs this year.

[woodburner]

Any mention of the word paralysis in connection with chickens makes me think of Marek's. :? Silkies are apparently more vulnerable to it than other breeds, too

[Rhode Runner]

Mareks is a possibility especially with silkies, where it is prevalent. However in this case given the breed and the circumstances after which the condition developed I am more inclined to believe that it is brain injury which is a danger in the crested breeds. Rather than try to explain it. Here is a description with a video from a very good poultry site in Canada. I'm sure Diana does it better than I could. 

http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=emergencies&action=display&num=1160928615

HTH

Allan