Polish Breeders Club

Coming up on 16wk standard blue cockeral began acting rather odd 2 days ago.  When on perch hanging head severely, to point of not being able to lift it on  his own.  As though his neck has stiffened up and can't straighten back up.  We massaged it and he relaxed and when turned put him down he quickly recovered to his  normal behavior, lifting his head, stretching, crowing, being the rowdy fool he is (he is by far  the craziest polish we have ever had!).  Removed the perch but there is a shelf, for lack of better description, in the coop (a renovated outhouse) which is about 15" wide. 

Last night go to check on him and it was as though he had crookeneck, bending under himself, backing, etc.  Took him out, massaged again, put him in large cage with no perch, nothing but flat floor.  He laid down and appeared comfortable, fell asleep, no twitching or odd movements of head/neck. 

This morning he was pacing, doing his usual terrorizing, eating & drinking well.  I had a couple of pullets in w/him but have removed them for now though I wonder if that may stress him now that I'm thinking about it.  Neither of them are too fond of him since he is acting as a young roo does.

He is a very large cockeral IMHO.  Over a third larger than  the size of WCB cockeral hatch mate.  His back/shoudlers are very broad, and he is incredibly strong.  As he is aging he is getting more chocolate across back though tail is very blue, as well as underside.  So this is a two part thread--are the blue males supposed to thave the lacing like the females?  I cannot find a good pic of blue roo to scrutinized it close enough to see what the close to perfect is to look like.  His crest is gorgeous however and I like his large stature.  It's that chocolate/darker look I don't know about. 

My gut is  telling me that he needs to go, in a humane way (we are nutty enough to take to vet & have them put down) but then again, I hope he is salvagable because of crest and size...ugh!!  From my last post on crookneck (which yes, that was the problem w/that lil' fellow) there is the paragraph about heat induce brain swelling.  We're in middle TN &  it has been ungodly hot.  All birds have shade, access to in & outside at all times, fans to move air in coops.  I'd considered the idea of him hitting his head too but that doesn't seem to fit with the "ok when on flat ground" deal. 

Another odd thing:  even when holding him, he immediately drops head down, stiffens up and does the weird crookneck type things.  I am baffled...

I have seen this in 2 bantam bearded white cockerels.  Both I tried treating several days with antibiotics/steroids/vitamins- slight improvement only so I euthanized.  I didn't necropsy- regretting that now.

Sorry to hear about your lovely boy.  It always seems to be the way doesn't it? the favs have problems.

There are 2 possibilities in my mind and the description  fits them both. One is Cerbral hernia the other is a form of Mareks. Neither one forecasts a good future as a breeder because if it is the Mareks he may seem to recover then will die later at maturity.

I would definitely do a Post mortem in either case just to know what I was dealing with.

Here we can submit birds to a provincial lab for a nominal fee. I don't know what options you have there.

Thanx for the replies.  I am going to make all attempts to get appt w/vet that was recommended here in town (vet raised polish many years ago, has a rep for being pretty poultry health savvy), get his "professional" opinion. 

The Mareks word scares me...