× Veterinary advice should be sought from your local veterinarian before applying any treatment or vaccine. Not sure who to use? Look up veterinarians who specialize in poultry using our directory listing. Find me a Vet
Wry Neck Other Names: Torticollis, Stargazing, Twisted Neck
Wry neck, also known as torticollis, twisted neck, stargazing, limber neck and crooked neck is a clinical sign where the chicken's neck is bent and twisted so that their head is oriented towards the left or right side, upwards or downward. It is associated with disorders of the vestibular system. It can be caused by genetics, vitamin deficiencies, trauma, tumors, viruses, bacteria, parasites, protozoa, toxins and fungi.
Congenital-associated
Nutrition-associated Vitamin deficiencies: Vitamin E and thiamine deficiencies.Ergotism Soybean or lupine based diets: Wry neck has occurred in flocks fed soybean and lupine based diets.Infectious Bacterial infections: Ear infections , Salmonellosis (S. Pullorum, S. Typhimurium ), Streptococcal Infection (Streptococcus spp Avibacterium paragallinarum Listerial encephalitis (Listeria monocytogenes Enterococcus durans Viral infections: Marek's disease virus , Avian encephalomyelitis virus , Newcastle disease (Avian paramyxovirus type 1), Enteric reovirus strains, and Avian influenza .Parasitic infections: Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii Sarcocystisis ( Sarcocystis spp Tapeworms , and Baylisascariasis ( Baylisascaris procyonis Fungal infections: Pneumo-encephalitis aspergillosis (Aspergillus spp Curvularia geniculate ), Mucormycosis (Rhizopus spp ) and Dactylariosis (Dactylaria gallopava Other reasons
Treatment depends on the cause. The chicken will require supportive care and should be closely monitored.
Abnormally positioned head/neck
Name Summary Supportive care Isolate the bird from the flock and place in a safe, comfortable, warm location (your own chicken "intensive care unit") with easy access to water and food. Limit stress. Call your veterinarian. Treatment depends on the cause Provide supplemental Vitamins E and B
Shiina, K., and E. Kobayashi.. Genetic mapping of the novel congenital loco locus on chromosome Z in Silkie Fowl chickens. British Poultry Science 65.2 (2024) Cádiz, Leandro, et al.. Cranial osteomyelitis associated with Pasteurella canis in broiler chickens Austral journal of veterinary sciences 56.2 (2024) Böhm, Brigitte, et al.. Clinically Manifesting, Naturally Occurring Fowl Glioma in a Leghorn Chicken in Germany Avian Diseases 66.1 (2022) Marcano, Valerie C., et al.. Pathology in Practice Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 260.1 (2022) Matos, Miguel, et al.. An outbreak of Pullorum disease in a young layer parent flock in Austria presented with central nervous system signs Avian diseases 65.1 (2021) Atasever, Ayhan, Görkem Ekebaş, and Duygu Yaman Gram. . Spontaneous toxoplasmosis in a chicken Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg, 67, 101-105 (2020) Wilson, Tais M., et al.. An undescribed species of Sarcocystis associated with necrotizing meningoencephalitis in naturally infected backyard chickens in the Midwest of Brazil Parasitology International 76 (2020) Olkowski, A., Wojnarowicz, C., Olkowski, B. et al.. Cervical scoliosis and torticollis: a novel skeletal anomaly in broiler chickens Acta Vet Scand 61, 47 (2019) Crispo, Manuela, et al. . Otitis and meningoencephalitis associated with infectious coryza (Avibacterium paragallinarum) in commercial broiler chickens Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 30.5 (2018) Doneley, Bob. Avian medicine and surgery in practice: companion and aviary birds. . CRC Press. (2016) Sentíes-Cué, C. Gabriel, et al.. Avian encephalomyelitis in layer pullets associated with vaccination Avian Diseases 60.2 (2016) Olkowski, B., et al.. Skeletal response to diet with soya bean seeds used as primary source of protein in growing broiler chickens Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 100.4 (2016) Banani, M., et al.. Isolation of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale from the brains of commercial broiler breeder chickens with meningitis and encephalitis Archives of Razi Institute 70.3 (2015) Nevitt, B. N., Robinson, N., Kratz, G., & Johnston, M. S. Effectiveness of physical therapy as an adjunctive treatment for trauma-induced chronic torticollis in raptors. Journal of avian medicine and surgery (2015) A Ali et al. Rehabilitation and Curing of Domestic Pigeons Exhibiting Signs of Torticollis . Research Journal for Veterinary Practitioners (2014) Nabinejad, Abdolreza. Study on subclinical and clinical Marek's disease (MD) in the broiler chickens using histopathology . International Journal of Advanced Biological and Biomedical Research.–2013.–Volum 1 (2013) Sawale, G. K., et al. Pneumo-encephalitic aspergillosis in broiler breeder flock. . Indian Journal of Veterinary Pathology (2011) Ecco, Roselene, et al.. Neurological lesions in chickens experimentally infected with virulent Newcastle disease virus isolates Avian pathology 40.2 (2011) Stoev, Stoycho D. Studies on carcinogenic and toxic effects of ochratoxin A in chicks Toxins 2.4 (2010) Dubey, J. P. . Toxoplasma gondii infections in chickens (Gallus domesticus): prevalence, clinical disease, diagnosis and public health significance Zoonoses and public health 57.1 (2010) Ochi, A., et al.. Naturally occurring multiple perineuriomas in a chicken (Gallus domesticus) Veterinary Pathology 45.5 (2008) Dubey, Jitender P., et al.. Endemic avian toxoplasmosis on a farm in Illinois: clinical disease, diagnosis, biologic and genetic characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from chickens (Gallus domesticus), and a goose (Anser anser) Veterinary Parasitology 148.3-4 (2007) Van de Zande, Saskia, and Eva-Maria Kuhn. Central nervous system signs in chickens caused by a new avian reovirus strain: a pathogenesis study. Veterinary Microbiology 120.1-2 (2007) Abe, Yuka, et al. Encephalomalacia with Enterococcus durans infection in the brain stem and cerebral hemisphere in chicks in Japan. Avian diseases 50.1 (2006) Burgos, Sigfrido, Diego V. Bohorquez, and Sergio A. Burgos. Vitamin deficiency-induced neurological diseases of poultry. . International Journal of Poultry Science 5.9 (2006) Lamb, Katherine J., et al.. Diverse range of fixed positional deformities and bone growth restraint provoked by flaccid paralysis in embryonic chicks International journal of experimental pathology 84.4 (2003) Kurazono, Mitsuteru, et al. . Pathology of listerial encephalitis in chickens in Japan. Avian diseases (2003) Pennycott, T. W., G. Duncan, and K. Venugopal.. Marek's disease, candidiasis and megabacteriosis in a flock of chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonka) Veterinary record 153.10 (2003) Olkowski, A. A., et al.. Adverse Effects of Dietary Lupine in Broiler Chickens Poultry Science (2001) R. J. Julian. Rapid growth problems: ascites and skeletal deformities in broilers Poultry science (1998) Mutalib, A., et al.. Sarcocystis-associated encephalitis in chickens Avian diseases (1995) Tannock, G. A., and D. R. Shafren. Avian encephalomyelitis: A review Avian Pathology 23.4 (1994) Cardona, C. J., et al.. Enterococcus durans infection in young chickens associated with bacteremia and encephalomalacia Avian diseases (1993) Cardona, C. J., and A. A. Bickford. Wry necks associated with Mycoplasma meleagridis infection in a backyard flock of turkeys Avian diseases (1993) Okoye, J. O. A., W. Ezema, and J. N. Agoha.. Naturally occurring clinical reticuloendotheliosis in turkeys and chickens. Avian Pathology 22.2 (1993) Cooper, G., et al. . Listeriosis in California broiler chickens Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 4.3 (1992) Barton, J. T., et al.. Avian paramyxovirus type 1 infections in racing pigeons in California. I. Clinical signs, pathology, and serology. Avian diseases (1992) Cooper, G. L. . An encephalitic form of listeriosis in broiler chickens Avian diseases (1989) Swayne, D. E., O. J. Fletcher, and L. W. Schierman.. Marek's disease virus‐induced transient paralysis in chickens. 1. Time course association between clinical signs and histological brain lesions Avian Pathology 18.3 (1989) Acland, H. M., LA Silverman Bachin, and R. J. Eckroade. . Lesions in broiler and layer chickens in an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection Veterinary Pathology 21.6 (1984) Wyttenbach, Charles R., and Julia D. Hwang. Relationship between insecticide‐induced short and wry neck and cervical defects visible histologically shortly after treatment of chick embryos Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology (1984) Mikov, S., V. Iordanova, and S. Simeonov.. Effect of thiamin and vitamin E in broiler chickens with methionine poisoning Veterinarnomeditsinski Nauk (1981) Randall, C. J., D. M. Owen, and K. S. Kirkpatrick. . Encephalitis in broiler chickens caused by a hyphomycete resembling Dactylaria gallopava Avian Pathology 10.1 (1981) Richardson, J. A., et al.. Verminous encephalitis in commercial chickens Avian diseases (1980) Stolkov, D., et al.. Meningoencephalitis in chickens, caused by Aspergillus fumigatus. Twentieth World Veterinary Congress: Summaries, volume 2., 1975, 1072-1073 (1975) Sullivan, G. E. Skeletal abnormalities in chick embryos paralysed with decamethonium Australian Journal of Zoology (1974) Gries, Christian L., and M. L. Scott.. The pathology of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin deficiencies in the chick The Journal of Nutrition 102.10 (1972)
