Stargazing? 4 pictures

Chick stargazing I think. Imagine this is what the little fellow is doing. Approximately 4 weeks old. Perfectly normal chick, except when it drinks water, the water is consumed as the chicks puts its head backwards for the water to flow down the throat. Other than that, the chick is 100% normal. Same size as everyone else, eats in a proper manner, just drinks like this. I watched for some time the day before yesterday, and that chick seems to spend a goodly amount of time drinking water. I think it takes much longer to get the required amount of water into the system, because of the method of delivery. I do not know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Time will tell that tale. As I said, the chick appears to be identical to the other chicks of the same age, just an odd way to drink. I am sitting on the fence if this fellow will be a detriment to my flock of birds. I believe it is a cockerel, so is destined for the other world when he matures, but wonder about feed and water conversion as he grows. There is only one chick amongst the 40 or so. Comments would be welcome. I know I have recently heard talk of a condition known as star gazing and would like to learn more, if this is what is apparent here. Have an awesome day, CynthiaM.

Yes, stargazing?



The other chicks are very interested to look at what this little one is doing. They observe and then leave the scene.

hmm, strange!
You caught the pic just right, can really see how it is doing that to swallow!
Not sure what to do but it is interesting to notice for sure.

the more I think about it the more I think that this chick will not continue to grow properly and particularly with the water consumption issue. It appears to eat properly, was watching that, and he ate 100% normally. But when it came to the water drink. Every drink he brought his head backwards and the water went down the throat in a different manner. He would spend about 2 minutes at the font drinking in his way of workin' it. I'm thinkin' not good and know what I have to do. And I am not smiling have awesome days, CynthiaM.

Awh ! give the little guy a chance , he might get past this point yet ?

Try adding vitamin E to their diet?

Eh, isn't that a sign of early Mareks or wry neck? Can wry neck happen at that age?

I had 2 girls who used to do that prior to me having turkeys (I think because of the immunity boost they stopped), one would do a stevey wonder head twist and the other would do what that chick is.

I agree with Susan. Vitamin E deficiency in chicks can cause either star gazing or wry neck type symptoms. It seems to be more common in certain breeds than others.

I have not had any answers that have satisfied my need to know. Thanks though. There is one chick in about 40 that is doing this action. I do not think it marek's disease, not for a second. Perhaps wry neck. Don't know.

Now we go back to the age old question. Healthy chicks grow up to be healthy chickens. Unhealthy chicks grow up to be....well, do they grow up? If chicks are sickly as youngsters and grow up sickly, that is a bad thing. That has the propensity to bring illness to flocks. This is not what I am breeding for. If this chick does not have the ability to absorb the vitamins and minerals that are supplied in the chick starter, then I honestly do not believe that it will have a great immune system as aging occurs. If there was more than just one chick, I would wonder more about something missing in diet. If a vitamin deficiency, as I said, probably this will be a sickly bird as an adult....hmmmm..tough love? Think I have answered my own question here and I should probably just delete this post, but it could be helpful to someone, somewhere along the line. Have an awesome day, CynthiaM.