need help with my rooster

This morning my rooster is acting funny he didnt crow and hasnt yet he is very quiet acting drepressed we have a love hate relationship and is well my best friend not sure what is going on with his just that he is quiet under a bush and just letting me pet him with not arguing first not like him and now he looks as if he is sleepy some one please help me. Also the chick that favors him well I believe she stopped laying and she is like up his butt almost like she wont leave his side weird im really new at this so if someone can give me an idea of what to do.... Also how do you worm them I suppose I could youtube that... someone sugestted I do that and said he could b molting... thank you for any responses in advance

Unfortunately there are about a bazillion things this could be. More info would help. How old is this bird? Have you checked carefully for lice/mites? Any new or young birds brought into the flock recently? What are they being fed? Any funny breathing noises like wheezing or rattling, coughing or sneezing? Any runny nose or eyes? Is his comb/wattles nice and red or is he pale?

Pick him up and check him all over, look for mites/lice and see if he feels like he's lost weight.

Deworming is pretty simple and straight forward. Get a good, broad spectrum dewormer like Valbazen or get some liquid Safeguard for goats. Use an eye dropper or a needless syringe with measurements on it, give him 1/2 cc. Repeat the dose in 10 days. Deworm all your chickens at the same time.

Edited to add: Molting can cause chickens to act a little off or sometimes cranky but they'll generally still be up, moving around, eating and drinking.

I just picked him up and looked all through his feathers his nose is runny and he is sneezing and sounds like he has a cough.... he let me clean his beak off and go through him good can he actually get a cold I did get some new chicks but they are in my house in a cage I will say he and the two hens roost outdoors not covered actually right by my back door and we did have some rainy days and I thought they were weird cause they just stayed out in the rain even though they had shelter to go to. Were do I get the stuff you are talking about to deworm them I feed them layer feed plus scratch and well house stuff to like oatmeal cereal they love it peppers thats like treats for them.

dreamcatcher12 said:

I just picked him up and looked all through his feathers his nose is runny and he is sneezing and sounds like he has a cough.... he let me clean his beak off and go through him good can he actually get a cold I did get some new chicks but they are in my house in a cage I will say he and the two hens roost outdoors not covered actually right by my back door and we did have some rainy days and I thought they were weird cause they just stayed out in the rain even though they had shelter to go to. Were do I get the stuff you are talking about to deworm them I feed them layer feed plus scratch and well house stuff to like oatmeal cereal they love it peppers thats like treats for them.

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From your description it sounds like he did get chilled and has a respiratory infection from it. Even though your birds may 'stay' out in the rain, it is NOT good for them at all.

It sounds like he has come down with a respiratory disease. Chickens don't get common colds like humans do, what they get are viral or bacterial poultry diseases. There are many and it is impossible to know what he has without having some testing done. They are easily spread in the air, on caretakers, by wild birds etc. You'll need to keep a close watch on the rest of your birds in case more start showing symptoms. It would probably be a good idea to put him on some antibiotic's, Tylan 50 is a very good one for respiratory issues. It won't cure whatever he's got but it will help prevent secondary bacterial infections and pneumonia. That is what usually kills the birds rather then the disease itself.

As far as chickens going out in the rain...mine do it all the time. They go inside when they've had enough or if it gets too windy/stormy to suit them. But if your bird stayed out too long and/or got too wet it could have triggered an underlying issue he may have already been fighting.

Be careful in caring for your new chicks so that you don't spread this to them. Always take care of them first, sick birds last, and change clothes and even shower after caring for the sick one/s. I know it may seem extreme but these things spread so easily and once you have it in your flock it's a royal pain in the backside!

Thank you so much this tylan 50 you mentioned where do i get that so i can get some tomorrow morning first thing my one hen has a funny nose too i feel so terrible and helpless all i want to do is help them ... i knew i should of locked them in but just hate taken their fredom away and here i might have killed them ... im depressed now.. if you could just give me an idea of where to get that medicine and thank you in advance

dreamcatcher12 said:

Thank you so much this tylan 50 you mentioned where do i get that so i can get some tomorrow morning first thing my one hen has a funny nose too i feel so terrible and helpless all i want to do is help them ... i knew i should of locked them in but just hate taken their fredom away and here i might have killed them ... im depressed now.. if you could just give me an idea of where to get that medicine and thank you in advance

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Don't feel bad, this did not come from them being out in the rain. These things are spread very often by wild birds, or even just on the wind if any other flocks of chickens live nearby. It can be hard to avoid if you keep chickens for any length of time.

You can generally find Tylan 50 and any good feed store or Tractor Supply. It comes as an injectable but it can also be given orally if you are not comfortable injecting. I've used it orally with just as good results. The oral dose is 1/2 cc/ml once a day for 5 days, you will need a needless syringe or an eye dropper with measurements on it. Sick birds should also be kept inside, even if it's a garage or shed and kept warm.

Good luck with your birds!

Just want to thank everyone for all their help my rooster is full of energy again and the two hens are up and around ..... I have to say this was an amazing experience for me can't believe chickens can get a runny nose sneezing and a cough, reminded me of when my children were babies crazy. Cafarmgirl I'll continue to do what you told me and thank you again and iwiw60 I'll make sure I make them go in out of the rain to solve that my son and I built another fenced in coop away from the house with lots of shelter for them to roost under. I dont know but they like to be right by the kitchen door I guess where all the treats come from.... lol and well their first 4 months of life was right in the house and they do love coming in the house... well once again thank you everyone for your help.