This baby cobalt that is really weird, as early as a couple days old I have notice that he sits there with his head back all the time nearly, well now he has left the nest and he still does it but not all the time but a lot. weird. I think he will be a nice bird too

here he is quite normal

being weird

 

The only pied I have bred this year

wow if that was the only pied i breed this year id be happy with that

and the other bird

lol that is weird

Thanks GB, I do like the pied hope she makes the mark, so far she is looking good. I hope the cobalt grows out of doing that because he turns out good which I think he will I won't be able to show him because he will just lean back and look at the roof of the show cage all the time.

Last year I had a chick that had his head kinked sideways as a little chick but by the time he left the nest he came good, I think he was leaned on by his mum, I would try and straigten his head and it would spring straight back to the side. But he is now a normal bird.

Congratulations on breeding your first stargazer (The cobalt chick)

"Stargazers" constantly throw their head back, sleep with their heads between their legs; go around in a circle; look at the ceiling, turn their heads around in a circle and look up.

 

Stargazing can strike at random and without warning or past history of problems.

 

In some birds, the condition may correct itself over time or may be corrected given certain condition ...:

... if it was caused by poor positioning inside the egg / poor egg condition (may only be a consideration if a bird was born with this condition)

... condition may be reversed is if the root cause is malnutrition and it is corrected

...resolution might be achieved through successfully treatment protocol (antibiotic treatments, etc.).

 

 

If this condition is left uncorrected, the following progression) can be expected:

 

Inability to fly.

Loss of balance/equilibrium. Falls off the perch.

Difficulty moving around in cage

Can't find food or water - resulting in starvation

The end result of stargazing (if untreated or not self-corrected) is almost always death.

 

 

What Cause Stargazing / Twirling?

 

A definite cause has not been identified as of yet; however, the following are suspected:

 

Egg positioning (?)

Viral / bacterial or yeast infection

Chemical imbalance

Vitamin and/or mineral (nutritional) deficiency; Vitamin D deficiency (lack of natural sunlight exposure). Too much calcium can result in a ‘drunken bird' look

Genetic predisposition

Inner-ear problem

 

 

Treatment for Stargazing

 

The following treatments have been reported as being fairly effective:

 

Nystatin

Trimethoprim Sulfa

Vitamin B 12 to strengthen the nervous system

Enhanced nutrition to correct any nutritional deficiencies

 

 

Prevention of Stargazing

 

The following steps will be an important step in not only preventing this disease, but others too.

 

Prevent birds which carry the genetic predisposition for this disease from breeding so that they cannot pass this condition on to their offspring

Provide the best nutrition possible.

Provide uncontaminated water and clean air

Keep your bird's environment clean

From the information you've posted Kaz - that doesn't sound good. I hope your cobalt corrects itself Splat.

wow learn something new everyday mmmm star gazzer hey wow cool info thanks kaz and thanks for sharring splat or may never have come up

I have never heard of that either. He was probably born like that because I notice him doing it at about two or three days

old, he is the youngest of five. He doesn't seem to twirl his head around so far, he is quite fat. BUt I will treat him any way.

I have trimadine powder here but no Nystatin

I just looked into the stargazer thing and he could be one but all he does is look at the ceiling, he is not doing it as much now, like he looks normal so time will tell but I will treat him with the trimidine anyway.

This might sound stupid, but.......what about putting a mirror in front of him, so he's got something to look at and concentrate on?

I read about stargazers a long time ago, but the info I read was from a breeder who had a number of them. In his account, he stated that the affected birds were perfectly normal except when they were not actively moving (flying, eating, mating, courting, playing etc) they would stare straight up at the roof/sky. As soon as they decided to move they would look down and do so, but at all times when they were stationary they would return again to staring at the roof. He had no problems with breeding or premature deaths. Obviously in his case it was a genetic trait to have it show up in multiple birds which is backed up by the fact he stated he had no trouble breeding affected birds so obviously it was being spread through generations.

I don't know if he is a stargazer because I haven't seen him do it since I took the photo, There are 3 cobalts in that nest and I can't tell which one he is now because he looks normal, BUT will keep a close eye on him.

Wow! when I started to read Kaz's reply I thought she was pulling Splats leg. l.o.l. (should have known better)

I have never heard of this either.

Thank's for the post Splat as G.B. said you learn something new every day. Another thing for the memory bank if it ever occurs.

Funny when I think it was Dean congratulating me on a stargazor lol I thought a special bird until I read kaz's bit. lol I am not really sure if he is one because since he has been out of the nest and into a wire cage he hasn't done it since. Maybe it was a neck problem but still will watch him.

I am not really sure if he is one because since he has been out of the nest and into a wire cage he hasn't done it since.

Well.......it does say that in some it can correct itself.

I hope Kaz, I think he may have had a crick in his neck, because last year i had a chick that use to have his head side ways in the nest, I would straighten it and it would flick straight back to the side, BUT when he came out of the nest he straighten up and never did it again.

Edited October 22, 201014 yr by KAZ

Is the chick from last year and the chick from this year related in any way?

No Jimmy

My little hen is stargazing again, I noticed she only does it when she is nervous so today I worked out how much medication I need to mix up to treat her, I am giving her trimadine I read somewhere that is one of the treatments, 14 days of it I think. She is such a nice bird I thought it worth it. So I will see how she responds. Plus she is out of one of my best cocks.

i hope the medication works for you splat, do you have an up to date picture of her?

No but I will try and get one over the weekend.

No but I will try and get one over the weekend.