05/18/2026
This is not one of our typical public service announcements, but recently our department found a chicken running at large that had a noticeable neck condition. While we originally thought the bird may have been physically injured, we discovered it was actually suffering from a condition called Wry Neck. This alarming neurological symptom causes a chicken's head to twist or tilt upside down, and it is most commonly triggered by a severe vitamin deficiency or an improper diet.Since there are Fort Madison citizens who keep backyard flocks, we wanted to share these facts in the interest of animal welfare. Diet plays a massive role in preventing this condition. Poultry keepers should know that feeding chickens excessive amounts of "junk food"—such as scratch grains, cracked corn, and table scraps—can crowd out their regular feed and starve them of vital nutrients like Vitamin E and Selenium. Additionally, old, stale, or improperly stored feed rapidly loses its vitamin potency, and any feed that has become damp or moldy can introduce dangerous toxins that damage a chicken's nervous system.The best prevention is keeping your flock on a fresh, commercially balanced poultry feed as their primary diet. Wry neck is not contagious and can often be reversed with isolation, careful hand-feeding, and vitamin supplements. We hope this information helps our local chicken keepers keep their birds healthy and safe!
