[too many girls]

Pip was doing her pre bedtime check on the chicks and found our little silkie Raffles with what she thought was a broken neck, her head is twisted round backwards, does anyone know what could be wrong with her? injury? neurological? should Sam do the deed? really worried as i have never seen aything like it.

[Foxy]

Oh I am sorry! keep her separate, is there anything she could have gotten hold of that is toxic?? has she been well up to now?

[too many girls]

she was still in the big brooder, she was fine at 6, she doesn't seem to be in pain so have popped her in a small box with scrunched up kitchen roll for support, Pip has taken her to bed with her as there is a risk from cats in my room.

[Foxy]

how old is she? I am guessing a grower then??

[too many girls]

she's about 8 weeks old, didn't someone on here have a hen with a wonky head? can't for the life of me think who it was.

[archiesgems]

Hi TMG

Is it just her neck that is like this or has she any other symptoms? Have a look at her eyes, are the iris greyish and see if she has irregular pupils, can she move her legs? and is the skin around feather follicles raised and roughened

Jay

[Foxy]

In that case it is probably neurological, have you changed her feed recently Rom?

[Foxy]

Hi TMG

Is it just her neck that is like this or has she any other symptoms? Have a look at her eyes, are the iris greyish and see if she has irregular pupils, can she move her legs? and is the skin around feather follicles raised and roughened

Jay

hmmm are you thinking Mareks?

[too many girls]

have just checked, eyes are clear, not sure of the follicles as she's just fluff, she can move her legs and can stand but overbalances when she throws her head back, she is still fed farmgate chick crumbs.

[archiesgems]

certainly am, there is alot about this year, and there's not many that effect the neck like that, if it was neaurologicle there would have been symptoms before like staggered walking and miss feeding, I really hope that it isnt Marek's but it would be well worth having it checked out to be on the safe side

[archiesgems]

how old is she?

[Foxy]

I agree archiesgems, I am wondering maybe its stargazing, TMG was this chick from your own hatching eggs? check sell by date on your chick crumb, try a vit B supp like brewers yeast, if you have  vit E capsule break it into the crumb too. Make sure she drinks, use a syringe if necesary.Wheat germ oil is also really good for stargazing chicks. Fingers crossed but I imagine it will be a genetic problem and hopefully not something like Mereks, which has a pretty quick onset in younger birds.

[archiesgems]

sounds likely foxy, if not then rickets? just gone through the med book and theres not much else it could be, if she can stand you can rule out marek's though which is a good thing.

[too many girls]

she is from Cassandra and Rodney, she was hatched along with 6 others and they're fine, what is stargazing?

[archiesgems]

its a general term used, but in reality its a thing called thiamine deficiency