My chicken has wry neck. Is it contagious and will it affect my ducks?

In adult chickens, "wry neck", can be caused by infection, trauma or poor diet. Hen pecking can cause trauma and infection. A poor diet results in a vitamin deficiency, usually E, B1, D or a combination. Have her examined by a vet experienced in treating domestic fowl. Separate her from the flock for now. Feed a fortified chicken feed. Vitamin E should be given daily. Give with the mineral selenium to enhance absorption. Vit B can be mixed in with food or water. Infection should be confirmed and treated with the appropriate antibiotic if indicated.

Thanks for reaching out about Kunu and including photos. Unfortunately, the photos are difficult to discern. Torticollis or wry neck in pigeons can be a result of trauma, inner ear infections, viral diseases. Dehydration is another possibility. Dehydration and soft tissue trauma would be the only things that could respond that rapidly. Vitamin B deficiencies usually don't respond this quickly. If you need a definitive answer, a veterinary visit is needed for some diagnostics testing. Good luck.

It sounds as it could have been a viral disease, possibly Newcastle disease or Marek disease, either way it's probably very contagious, you need to disinfect and clear the area completely before bringing in any other chickens or birds.

If the neck was broken, Puddle would likely have passed away, or be in a lot of pain or distress. If she has a wound or injury on her neck, it would be best to move her to an isolated hospital cage and to treat and clean the wound so it doesn't get infected. This can help her heal without the rest of the flock picking on her and making it worse. Once she is recovered, you can reintroduce her. I would also recommend adding in some other ducks so she has friends to stay safe with. If she has been badly injured, can't move, or is in severe distress, it is best to seek emergency care from your vet or an ER clinic so she can be seen right away.

Ducks should be fed more than just corn as feeding only one type of food can lead to nutritional imbalance and diseases with symptoms similar to what you are seeing. Ducks and chickens can be housed together, however they do have differing needs and males of one species may harm or harass the other which could lead to injury and illness. It would be best to have separate housing for each species as well as feed a balanced diet tailored to each as their nutritional needs can vary some. If you have a duck that is acting ill it is best to seek the care of a veterinarian near you as well as keep the duck away from the rest of your flock to avoid spread of illness as well as picking on the sick duck by any flock members.

These are neurological sign affecting most likely long nerves of legs. Marek disease (virus) is one of the most important differential to be ruled out at this stage. Isolate the chicken affected from the flock and as prevention you could use vaccination. Differentials that must be ruled out are lymphoid leukosis, botulism, deficiency of thiamine, deficiency of Ca/Phosphorus/Vitamin D. Discuss it with your local veterinarian.Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

This is untrue. It was (and still is in certain parts of the country) known as Coonhound Paralysis. This is due to the fact that coonhounds would develop the condition after contact with the saliva of racoons. It is thought to be an immune response to racoon saliva, bacteria or viruses. Chicken necks or raw chicken have never been conclusively or specifically listed as a direct cause. There may also be an autoimmune component in which the dog's own white blood cells begin to attack nerves resulting in a creeping paralysis that begins in the hind limbs and slowly moves forward.