Silkie with bent neck

[jimred]

This is the third Silkies that be ill recently, the last two were put down, iv got 25 chicken and had no serious problems with the rest except the odd cold etc treated with Baytril.

i found her under the coop yesterday unable to get up the ramp to roost, she seems to have no balance when she sat down at night she rolls around the roost box, her head is slightly bent.

I get her out in the morning she runs off feeding fine(still with a slight bend) but she cant get up the ramp at night.
i have started a course of baytril just in case its a ear infection.

[Nicos]

I had a problem a couple of years ago with one of my gals. Not quite the same- but she used to head roll and lay on her side if she lost balance.
At first I too thought it was an ear infection and tried Baytril- with no success . In the end she had to be culled. I found out a long time later that it was most likely to have been a vitamin deficiency and Marmite would have sorted her out!
( she was about 16 weeks old)
Might be worth trying that if the Baytril doesn't sort it out???? Just a thought!

Good luck!

[jimred]

thanks for that i will try some vitamin E mixed in with some mealworms, she fine and eating.

I had a problem a couple of years ago with one of my gals. Not quite the same- but she used to head roll and lay on her side if she lost balance.
At first I too thought it was an ear infection and tried Baytril- with no success . In the end she had to be culled. I found out a long time later that it was most likely to have been a vitamin deficiency and Marmite would have sorted her out!
( she was about 16 weeks old)
Might be worth trying that if the Baytril doesn't sort it out???? Just a thought!

Good luck!

[Nicos]

(I think it may be the Vit B in Marmite????)

I'm really not sure tbh

[Suechooks]

(I think it may be the Vit B in Marmite????)

I'm really not sure tbh

Think you're right Nicos.

[RichmondHens]

Given that she is a Silkie have you considered Mareks? They are very prone to it (as are Sebrights). It can cause total or partial paralysis. Some birds can recover but they carry on shedding the virus in their dander (skin debris) for life so can go on infecting other birds. Other breeds tend to be a bit more resistant which is maybe why your other birds are not affected.

[chris]

Failing that, with my lack of knowledge in chickens but seeing similar in other animals... a stroke?

[VirginVegGrower]

(I think it may be the Vit B in Marmite????)

I'm really not sure tbh

From a girl in the town of Marmite - yes B vits indeed, Nicos

[petal]

really sorry but as a silkie breeder this sounds like mareks, its harsh but if you want to breed a resistant strain of bird you have to cull any with such symptoms. The neck posture is called torticollis or sea horse neck. In a stroke they stumble drunkenly and tuck tail beneath them- the comb has a blueish tinge. If its an ear infection you would see a cheesy substance in ear canal.
You have already lost 2 (both silkies?) best thing to do is to get a post mortem done on this one by vet then you will know that any more stock you bring in has to be vaccinated or have the resistant gene.

[jimred]

Thanks Petal
I asked the vet to carry out a PM on the last one that i had, i cant get any sense out of the vet, he said the liver was infected but i need to vaccinate the whole flock iv rang him a dozen times but never calls back apparently the medication is very expensive.

i have been waiting 6 weeks for a report so i popped into the vet to pick it up but he hasn't written it up yet, then the receptionist asked for £280 for the PM, I question the cost and it went down to £160.00.

i was expecting to pay around £50.00 but my fault i should of got a quote from them first.

She not staggering feeding OK and running round OK, she looks OK when you look at her(head slightly to one side) but if you pick her up her neck curls round and at night.

Can she pass this on to the rest of the silkies or recover if its Marek?
Thanks

really sorry but as a silkie breeder this sounds like mareks, its harsh but if you want to breed a resistant strain of bird you have to cull any with such symptoms. The neck posture is called torticollis or sea horse neck. In a stroke they stumble drunkenly and tuck tail beneath them- the comb has a blueish tinge. If its an ear infection you would see a cheesy substance in ear canal.
You have already lost 2 (both silkies?) best thing to do is to get a post mortem done on this one by vet then you will know that any more stock you bring in has to be vaccinated or have the resistant gene.

[Suechooks]

Can't believe the vet charged you so much for a PM. Our local specialist practice does one for £90 and my own vet does it free for her own interest!

[jimred]

it was a bit of a shock!!, i haven't paid yet as he still hasn't written the report, 6 weeks ago!

if it is Mareks can she pass it on to the rest, i have been reading up over the last few days and really cant work out what to do.

lots of birds catch it but then have a resistance to it, some catch it and recover and some die, should i be worried for the rest of the flock or just the silkies, will she infect the rest? reading lots of post & googles lots have no problems with it after the odd bird dies with it.

some information says its very contagious some say its common in all chicken flocks

what do people think?

Can't believe the vet charged you so much for a PM. Our local specialist practice does one for £90 and my own vet does it free for her own interest!

[Suechooks]

All the above info is probably correct. From my reading about it I gather it has so many manifestations that far more deaths could probably be attributed to it than we realise. The only definitive diagnosis is by post-mortem and very few owners will have it done. My vet as I've said sometimes does a PM for her own information as she has an interest in pet poultry but results are frequently inconclusive.

[petal]

Mareks vaccine is used on chicks- no good on older stock. if i were closer I could pm and possibly tell by growths anomalies etc - as I am used to knowing what healthy innards look like.- you can download images to help you diagnose- as i have done when we had an outbreak of coccidiosis. if your other birds are fine, then don't worry- some silkies are really susceptible to mareks and thats it.- if you want more then buy only vaccinated- or i might have a couple you can try next spring- i would be very interested out of my own research to see if my lot are truly as resistant as everyone says they are that have bought youngsters off me and had previous problems with silkies.

[baldrick]

really sorry but as a silkie breeder this sounds like mareks, its harsh but if you want to breed a resistant strain of bird you have to cull any with such symptoms. The neck posture is called torticollis or sea horse neck. In a stroke they stumble drunkenly and tuck tail beneath them- the comb has a blueish tinge. If its an ear infection you would see a cheesy substance in ear canal.
You have already lost 2 (both silkies?) best thing to do is to get a post mortem done on this one by vet then you will know that any more stock you bring in has to be vaccinated or have the resistant gene.

Wouldnt she have passed it on by now anyway if she is going to? TBH if she is a pet Id be inclined to cull her when she needs to be pts for humane reasons. You can cull an animal from a breeding programme without actually physically killing her? As for the vet. This report has taken so long had it been a notifiable disease you would have infected the entire country by now. Suspect he doesnt know his aardvark from his elephant and is playing for time in the hope you will go away.........bank the money dont offer it again unless they ask for it AFTER sending the report, and dont ask for the report again!