Wry neck, can’t eat or drink, green poop

[paulinachickies]

Please help, I’m on the verge of giving up. My 13 week old girl has a severe case of wry neck.

Background: I got her as a chick from a local chicken owner; she didn’t vaccinate against Mareks. Wry neck started off mild about 3 weeks ago so I was giving her bits of food on the side and vitamin E (400iu) and selenium (25mcg). I also suspected coccidiosis at this stage so didn’t give her poultry cell but started afterwards. She was still eating and drinking. (Picture of her then)

Then she started not being able to go up to the coop at night so I started bringing her up and down. About a week and half ago, that morning I found her pecked a bit (she was probably in the nest box when another was trying to lay) so I just took her to the air conditioned garage and have been keeping her here. I also noticed at this time she was not eating on her own so started tube feeding her (approx 100-150 ml of water + kaytee exact baby bird Hand feeding formula, which is 22% protein). I also give her 1ml of poultry cell, 400 iu vitamin E, and 25 mcg selenium. Shes unable to stand up, although she does shuffle herself around in the box. and her toes are sometimes curled but if I put her down she will put them flat under her. She is super lethargic, to a point I think she may have narcolepsy (has her eyes closed 99% of the time). She also is gasping a little bit today. she has green poop. I’m not sure if this is caused by high protein or worms...

I read that parasites can cause wry neck and given the green poop, dewormed her with safeguard a few days ago. But at this point, I’m not sure what else I can do, especially if it could be Mareks. She doesn’t seem to be in great pain but hasn’t shown any sign of improvement. She is also noticeably silent but does smack her beak when I give her a head rub, which makes me want to cry If anyone’s been successful at curing wry neck after a month or longer, I would love to hear how you did it and what you’d recommend. I am hoping to send a sample into the state lab to see if they can rule out Mareks or parasites. Does anyone have any other advice or recommendations?

this was her about a month ago, happy next to her bff.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your hen. Where are you located? Wry neck and not being able to stand are symptoms of Mareks. Since she is not doing well, I would contact your state poultry lab, and ask about getting a necropsy performed. Each state is different, but you can keep her body cold, not frozen, and take it in. If she were doing better, and you just wanted to know if it was Mareks or not, there is a $20 pcr test for Mareks that this lab will do on a sample of blood serum:
http://www.vetdna.com/application/forms/aviansubmittalform.pdf
You can ask for details on how to do either.
Here is a list of state poultry labs to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[paulinachickies]

Thank you @Eggcessive . I am mailing in the blood samples today (one from her, another from an asymptomatic chicken in the main coop). I'll post when I get the results. The lab said they usually have results next-day.

She seems a bit more alert when I hold her head upright with my hands - but resists anything else pretty fiercely (I tried to make a neck brace thing). I am holding onto hope that she does not have Marek's but may be something else... I am also wondering Botulism, but not sure since no one else has this symptom. If she ate something moldy or bad, I think other chickens must have gotten to it first (she is lower on the pecking order).

I'm in Massachusetts - and it seems that our state does not have services for necropsies. I spoke with the poultry lead at the Department of Agriculture, and she said neither they nor the Department of Public Health conducts necropsies. However, she did recommend contacting U Conn and UNH for their veterinary lab services, and that they specifically perform necropsies for poultry. I have already contacted Angell-MSCPA in Boston, and they said it would be $500+ for the necropsy itself and an exam to "admit" her (whether she is dead or not at this point), which would be another $100+. Hopefully, someone else who may be looking for Massachusetts specific state necropsy information would find this info (it took me a few hours to track down) next time...

 

[Eggcessive]

I would contact the New Hampshire poultry lab, since someone else here has used them for testing. Explain that you have a backyard chicken. $500 plus is ridiculous I think. Here in OH, it is about $25 if you deliver the body to the lab. I hope that you hear from the lab and will look for your results.

 

[paulinachickies]

Thank you. I called them and they mentioned it would be $100 for the necropsy, which is a lot more reasonable... their form states that you need a vet referral, but the person on the phone said that’s not needed for backyard flocks.

She is still hanging on, but still just being tube fed. She is very thin... I can feel her hip bones very prominently.

 

[paulinachickies]

We just put her down. RIP bighead.