My boy

No one responded earlier so I am still kind of operating with little knowledge... lethargic young rooster went down hill quickly today and presented with white film on his eyes ... went to the feed store for duramycin which he gratefully drank because I think he was severely dehydrated... then he sort of went to roost early and is sleeping now. No one else seems sick. ??? It's 7:30 here and I'm going to put everyone in for the night soon... not sure what to do with him... bring him in by himself? Guess that is probably best though as far as I can tell they hate to be by themselves... I'll check later to see if anyone has any advice for me... have had lots of predators but this is my first illness. Experixe would be appreciated, thank you.

Does this rooster have ANY other symptoms....diarrhea, respiratory ailments, stumbling, anorexia, pale comb and face, etc...Keep up with the duramycin and see what happens. Keep him on it at least 7 to 10 days, depending on whether you are seeing results. How old is he?

Thank you for asking... I lost him this morning. The onset of whatever ailed him was very fast... over a period of three days... Day 1 began with just being a little more passive then normal, then Day 2 he was noticeably lethargic and had a small amount of discharge on his beak that had dried and turned black. Day 3 his eyes had developed a whitish film and the color of his comb had turned to purplish... that was yesterday and I started the duramycin and hand watering him. He was drinking the medicated water from a cup greedily all yesterday afternoon and evening so I thought maybe he would recover, but then this morning he had lost all interest and his eyes were very swollen and shut... he has since died.

I will watch for signs of illness with the rest of the flock but so far every one looks fine??? Does any of this raise a huge red flag... should I be finding a chicken vet and getting a necropsy done, or just watch the flock carefully for the same pattern... only act more quickly and aggressively (like bring the chicken to a vet) if it happens to a second chicken?

Freeze him, and find out who to send him to in your area for a necropsy.

Sorry you lost your bird. Yes, keep a close eye on everyone, and at the first sign of illness in any others start medicating.

I wish I had seen your original post, I would have sent you for Tylan 50, you could have administer orally, or injection. AND poultry drench, which is a quick boost. I am wondering about the film over the eyes though. Also would have advised that you isolate him in a box or pet carrier with food and water.

THANKYOU!!!! Will get on top of finding out who to send him to right away.

Storrs CT Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Lab is sending a courier... I'll post back when I get word on the results... meanwhile, wish me luck with the rest of my flock!!!

Good luck!

Just an FYI...NEVER freeze a bird that is going in for necropsy. It will destroy tissue that is needed for testing. Instead, place the bird in a plastic bag and put him/her in the fridge.

So sorry for your loss.

Yes, you are correct... do not freeze, keep cool only... the UCONN van just picked up the body, will know by Monday free of charge. The gal had a sheep corpse on board as well... good to check your state resources when it comes to farm animals and diseases... they don't fool around!