Roo with issue

honeynajar

Songster
May 19, 2011
157
6
134
I fed my crew Tuesday night...noticed the one big roo Rodger was laying on top of a crate. He didn't get up and come get treats... which made me suspicious. When he hadn't gotten up by the next morning, I picked him up. All was well on the underside of him.... his feet look normal and no thorns....I felt his legs up and there was nothing broken, swollen or different that I could see. But when I put him down to stand up, he promptly fell to the ground and couldn't/wouldnt stand. I put him in the coop for protection, but found him outside the coop but under the run stairs... like he had been forced out. He stayed there for a day and night. Last night I checked him out again... can't find anything wrong with him other than he's getting thin but I don't think he's moving to get any food or water. I crated him with food and water - but I'm clueless as to what else to do. He's not moving on his own... I situated him so that I would know if he moved. He didn't in 14 hours. Any thoughts? I have way too many roos and am in the process of downsizing so this could indeed be a fight injury. I just don't know if I should do anything else.
 
Can he move his legs or do they dangle uselessly when you hold him? It's quite possibly a damaged spine or pelvic area. In which case chances are with enough time lying still he will heal.

Best wishes.
 
Best bet for now is to let him sit somewhere quiet and safe with food and water within reach and his legs in a correct position beneath him... Probably. There's a chance it's a serious break. Can't tell without looking at him first hand, generally.

Best wishes.
 
Well then looks like I've done good. :) He's def safe from predators and the weather and had food and water within beak's reach. I'll just wait and see what happens.
 
I would be suspicious that he may have Mareks disease, botulism, or poisoning of some kind. Botulism commonly causes paralysis of one leg or wing, and loss of balance. Caging him near food and water are best to observe him. Here are some links to read on Mareks and botulism:
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/avian-atlas/#/disease/Marek's_Disease
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/19/botulism
 
Eggcessive... this line depicts Rodger perfectly.


Neural form:
Characterized by one, all, or none of the following symptoms -
• Progressive paralysis, usually of the leg or wing, a typical leg-paralysis victim will
have one leg extended forward and one leg extended back. A swelling of the sciatic
nerve is the cause.


Which is listed in the signs of Mareks. I've not checked the Sciatic nerve tho - need to look up to see exactly where it is. Now what? My crew have never been vac'd for Mareks.

I had "assumed" roo combat but was puzzled by the lack of other injury and /or blood that should have resulted by such an injury.

Thank you.
 
Last edited:
Eggcessive... this line depicts Rodger perfectly.


Neural form:
Characterized by one, all, or none of the following symptoms -
• Progressive paralysis, usually of the leg or wing, a typical leg-paralysis victim will
have one leg extended forward and one leg extended back. A swelling of the sciatic
nerve is the cause.


Your rooster has one leg forward and one leg back? You didn't mention that before, but it's definitely worth noting. Still, even that can be caused by injury.

Which is listed in the signs of Mareks. I've not checked the Sciatic nerve tho - need to look up to see exactly where it is. Now what? My crew have never been vac'd for Mareks.

I had "assumed" roo combat but was puzzled by the lack of other injury and /or blood that should have resulted by such an injury.

Many serious injuries leave no blood or other traces, it's not uncommon at all.

However, according to some experts, Marek's is so ubiquitous that if your birds aren't tested clear you should assume they're infected.

With backyard bred chooks though, particularly mongrels, it's often more or less a negligent problem and even a common as dirt non-issue.

Vaccination only hides the symptoms, not stops them from getting Marek's. None of mine were vaccinated for it and even though it's in my flock I've never had serious problems with it, out of many hundreds of chooks I've only lost a couple to it and they already had other issues (Leukosis, an inherited disease).

It generally affects pullets more than cockerels, not too likely you'd have just one male with it and no pullets. Still worth assuming it may be Marek's, but definitely not worth stressing about it. You will get it sooner or later, almost as a rule, it's not something the average flock owner can avoid in perpetuity. Even those trying the hardest to avoid it get it sooner or later.

Different family lines are strong or weak against it, overprotecting them via zealous biosecurity measures and vaccinating them means you'll never know which is which until you have an outbreak; I prefer breeding for resistance to attempting to hide in a bunker with my flock to the end of time, lol. Those with the most to fear from it are either those trying to breed purebreds, or those who protect the most stringently against it.

Best wishes.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom