Wry Neck in Chickens: Should You Be Worried?

Chickens have a good reputation for being generally hardy and healthy, but as always, they have their own unique health conditions that you need to be aware of.

One of the most shocking and scariest is wry neck. One day your bird seems fine, and the next, they’re unable to stand or walk straight, and their head is ghoulishly contorted out of position. Is their neck broken? No, but it’s not far from it either.

Chickens affected by wry neck might be able to recover from it or they might not, and the prognosis can vary significantly.

Keep reading, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about this condition and what, if anything, you can do about it.

Wry Neck: What it Is and What it Isn’t

Wry neck, also known as torticollis and sometimes as crookneck or crooked neck, is a type of neurological disorder that, as the name suggests, makes it impossible for a bird to hold its head in a normal upright position or even control various muscle groups in the neck and head.

The result is that affected birds will hold their head at an angle, cock it to one side, or even twist their neck at alarming angles and be unable to correct it voluntarily.

Although not dangerous in and of itself, it can result in major quality of life problems for affected birds and often manifests after a traumatic injury, serious infection, or other problem.

Symptoms of Wry Neck

Wry neck is typically very blatant but is sometimes subtle, so you should learn and keep an eye out for the following symptoms.

Tilting or Twisting of Head and Neck

As mentioned, the classic indicator of this ailment is a head that is twisted, tilted, or carried out of position, or sometimes hanging limply. This results from loss of control over the muscle groups in the neck and head.

Clumsiness

Chickens are typically agile and very sure in their movements, but this is only because they hold their heads up and steady as they move in the manner of most birds. When they can no longer orient their head and, accordingly, their eyes properly, clumsiness is often the result.

Even chickens that only have their heads slightly out of position might be more prone to trip and fall, bump into things, or be reluctant to move.

Inability or Difficulty Eating, Drinking or Preening

Wry neck is a major problem because it often makes it difficult or sometimes impossible for birds to eat and drink normally, and even preen themselves.

Reduced Production and Growth

The general stress caused by the condition, as well as a lack of food intake when left to their own devices, will result in reduced production and growth overall in affected birds. Hens will often show reduced egg-laying tempo or even cease laying entirely.

Causes of Wry Neck

Wry neck can be quite scary, and that’s made even worse by the fact that it seems to strike overnight much of the time. This is made worse by the fact that there are several causes, some of which are not preventable by anything you might do.

However, familiarizing yourself with the cause might help you heal the affected bird or prevent future instances in your flock.

Genetic Abnormality

The condition is ultimately a neurological one and can be caused by bad genetics, which can be passed on when chickens reproduce.

Typically, wry neck that’s caused by any genetic abnormality or defect is not correctable and usually persists for the life of the bird, often manifesting when they are around 4 weeks old.

Infection

Any serious infection could potentially result in inflammation of the nerves or brain, and subsequently neurological issues that result in wry neck.

Generally, it’s not something to worry about if your birds are just a little under the weather, but if they come down with something serious like bird flu or a bad case of salmonella, then it’s a possible complication and might affect them for some time after, or even permanently.

Injury

Sadly, physical injury might sometimes result in the condition if nerves or the skull and brain are damaged. It’s especially common after a serious impact, and sometimes when a particularly large or powerful bird pecks another on the head.

Nutritional Deficit

One of the most common causes of wry neck is, happily, also one of the easiest to treat and potentially reverse. A pronounced lack of vitamin E and selenium will invariably cause wry neck as both are critical for muscle function and nervous system health overall.

A lack of these nutrients when birds are chicks will quickly cause the condition and might result in it being permanent during this crucial phase of development. However, adult chickens suffering from a serious deficiency might also develop it as a consequence.

Poison

There are many, many chemicals out there that are extremely dangerous to birds, among them pesticides, herbicides, and other things you could expect to have around your house or property.

Chronic exposure or exposure to a large dose can directly attack and damage the nervous system of our poor chickens and cause wry neck.

Some Chicken Breeds are More Prone to the Condition Than Others

Regarding wry neck that is caused by genetic conditions, some breeds seem more prone to developing the condition than others, though there is a troubling lack of information in this regard.

What is known, though, is that the genetic defects that cause it are indeed transmissible through reproduction.

Accordingly, you should think twice before purchasing any eggs or chicks from chickens that are known to have or have suffered from the condition.

Likewise, some birds have physical characteristics that make wry neck resulting from injury significantly more likely.

For instance, Silkies and Polishes have oblong skulls that are comparatively thin and vulnerable to injury from pecking. If they get in a fight with another bird, they might end up with a permanent case of wry neck from brain damage!

Obviously, such an outcome is hardly guaranteed even if it does take place, and if your flock is peaceful and gets along, that isn’t a concern. But it is still something to be aware of.

Is Wry Neck Infectious?

No. Although it might be caused by infection from any number of diseases, the condition itself is not infectious and will not jump from bird to bird like a germ.

How Does Wry Neck Affect a Chicken’s Quality of Life?

The impairment caused by wry neck can be minor or major.

Some chickens only suffering from a mild case might live almost entirely normal lives, struggling only with the most dynamic movements and occasionally pecking and picking up small bits of food and other things. They likewise might favor turning in one direction over another.

Severe cases, in stark contrast, can be downright ruinous and even prove fatal without constant intervention. Afflicted chickens might be unable to eat or drink entirely because they have little to no control over their necks and heads.

Can Wry Neck Be Treated?

Sometimes. If it starts as a result of malnutrition, correcting the dietary deficiency might see birds make a full recovery, like it never happened. Likewise, cases resulting from injury might get better over time or spontaneously resolve themselves. Or they might not…

Instances where wry neck is the result of a genetic abnormality that birds are born with are likely to be permanent, as are any instances caused by severe infection that damages the brain or nerves.

Here’s How to Prevent, Manage and Hopefully Treat Wry Neck

If you notice a chicken has wry neck, don’t give up hope because you and they might not have to live with it. Assess the likely cause and then act accordingly:

Improve Nutrition Immediately With Diet and Supplements

For chicks and adolescent chickens, one of the most likely causes, as mentioned, is malnutrition in the form of a dietary lack of vitamin E and selenium. Immediately incorporate these nutrients into their diet using whole foods or nutrient supplements.

Dietary supplements are commonly available, and foods like leafy greens, seeds, and cooked, scrambled eggs are great for providing plenty of the needed nutrients.

Provide Rest and Recuperation for Affected Birds

If a bird suddenly develops wry neck because of illness or injury, make sure you get them plenty of rest and give them time to recuperate with no stress in a quiet, dark environment.

Given time to recover, the condition might spontaneously resolve or steadily improve.

Keep Coop and Run Clean to Reduce Infection

This condition can often be made permanent if it results from a severe infection, and there are too many possible diseases to cover here. If you are a responsible chicken keeper, you’ll be keeping the coop, run, and all other areas that your flock inhabits clean.

Maintaining proper hygiene practices reduces instances of illness generally, and that will reduce any possibility of developing wry neck.

Vaccinate Your Flock

Similarly, many of the worst chicken diseases can be prevented or at least the effects mitigated through vaccination. Talk to your vet or other poultry health care provider about what vaccines your birds should get and keep them up to date as needed.

Stop Fighting to Prevent Head Injuries

Physical injury can be a terrible and often irreversible cause of this condition. Because of that, you must be on constant watch for any highly aggressive or bully birds in the flock, particularly if they’re picking on smaller chickens or more vulnerable breeds like Silkies and Polishes.

Chickens are surprisingly strong for their size, and their beaks are very hard, more than capable of inflicting serious injuries on their fellow flockmates.

Avoid Breeding Birds with Genetic Predisposition

As alluded to above, if you have any birds in your flock that were born with the condition or that seemingly expressed the condition for no other discernible reason later in life, you’d be wise to avoid breeding them.

The genetic defects that give rise to the neurological issues causing wry neck can be passed down and proliferate.

Isolate Affected Birds, Provide Special Diet and Help Them Eat and Drink

If you are intent on helping any of your birds suffering from the condition, you’ll probably need to help them eat and drink, at least for a time, to see if they get better.

Consider Culling Birds with Poor Quality of Life

Lastly, for chickens that can’t move effectively, totally unable to eat and drink, and being bullied by the rest of the flock for their obvious defect, you might consider culling them as the most humane option to prevent suffering.