Upside down head ~videos~

I had three of my chicks arrive "off". One is its legs, that one is being delt with. Another one looks like its head is on sideways, but eatting/drinking just fine. The last one looks like its head has been taken off, turned upside down, and then put back on. What should I do with this one? Thinking just putting it down. Advice?


*all these chicks have NO access to my stock, they are kept in a different section of the quarter and in a building*

Video coming as soon as it uploads.

I have another video uploading, but here is the first one.





Here is the other one, it shows all three chicks.

wow! I'm very interested in seeing what it looks like.

Are these hatchery chicks?
One thing we had one year from McMurray was Avian Encephamylitis (Sp?). It is a brain problem, affects the adults with just a drop in egg production but is very debilitating to chicks. If you hold them on their backs do they tremor?
Could be a hatching issue as well from the hatchery, not caught before loading up the chicks for shipment? Cause of the problem not sure?

Poor little baby! I have never seen that. It looks miserable.

Yes hidden, they are from Miller hatchery. They are my broilers. Scary, huh?! I keep checking the others and they are fine. I put the bad one out of its misery, the mild one does not tremor. It seems to be doing ok though. I have it seperate and am watching it. It was only three out of 500, so it is really good delivery. Only one DOA and these three "off" ones. The DOA was a squish, the one with leg problems I tape down and 90% are fine in 24 hours, but just this head thing. Never had this in all our years of doing broilers.

Is this another case of a form of 'star gazing'?

I agree - it looks like Wry-neck to me (star-gazing). If so, I don't think there is much you can do for it, and may end up having to cull. I understand this happens from time to time in many breeds and is often genetic, but now I've been reading it may result from other, non-genetic reasons like trauma during hatching. On a good note, if it seems otherwise healthy, you shouldn't be concerned about it being contagious to the rest of your chicks.

I have a newborn chick from this past Monday who has severe wry-neck and just haven't had the courage to cull it. It has not even been able to sit as its head goes back so hard it does back somersaults and then just lays there on its side, head back. Today it is 3 days old and it is now able to sit with its beak pointing up to the ceiling only instead of it backside and it has brought its head down to the floor to peck at grain.............go figure. I'm going to see if it pulls out of this condition on its own. The only thing I've helped it with is in getting some water a few times a day.

You may want to consider giving them a chance and see if it corrects itself soon enough for it to feed on its own. I know they should not be used for breeding.