My rooster is sick :(

[HarborGirl]

Any help would be appreciated. We don't have a vet within 100 miles that will treat poultry so I'm on my own.

A few days ago I noticed that he looked unwell. He was standing off by himself and had his head and tail feathers down. I hand fed him some mealworms and he happily accepted.

After that he started falling asleep all around the yard. If I walked over to him he'd hop up but after a few minutes he'd lay down and sleep again.

I brought him inside and out him in a crate. I've been feeding him scrambled eggs with yogurt, mealworms, his regular food and giving him water with pedialyte. I've also given him some VetRX.

He's not getting worse but he's also not getting better. He's just sleeping. Every now and then he wakes and stands and looks disoriented. I feed him and make sure he drinks and then he lays down again.

He's 4 years old and he's a sweetheart. I hate to see him suffer.

 

[HarborGirl]

edited to remove photo

 

[Eggcessive]

There can be so many different things wrong with chickens. Worms would be the first thing to treat for if it hasn't been done recently. Valbazen and SafeGuard liquid goat wormer are two very good ones, but make sure that he is taking water well before worming him. What do his droppings look like? Has he lost weight if you feel his breast bone? Look his skin over for evidence of lice or mites. Mites can cause severe anemia and death. Have you added any new birds recently that might have brought something in? How does his crop feel, especially in the morning.

 

[HarborGirl]

Hi and thank you for the response. He has lost weight but only over the past few days of being sick. His crop feels normal, as it always has. The only odd thing I've noticed is that when I give him water I hear an odd gurgling noise. Like if you have a sick stomach kind of gurgling sound

 

[HarborGirl]

I don't see evidence of mites or lice. His droppings are green and white and watery

 

[Eggcessive]

He could have some sort of blockage further down in his digestive tract. The green droppings are usually bile, a sign of not eating enough. If you are up to tube feeding him for a bit, you can give him KayTee baby bird feed through a crop tube. A piece of aquarium tubing melted on one end to soften sharp edges, can be fashioned into a crop feeding tube, and connected to a 35 cc syringe for giving fluids and food. That might give him a chance to get over what is going on, but if it is some type of organ failure, it might not help. Since you don't have a vet nearby, you could always try an antibiotic such as Tylan 50 or Sulfadimethoxine, which can work against respiratory and some intestinal problems. Unfortunately we sometimes don't know what the problem is until a necropsy is done after a death. Here is a link about tube feeding: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

 

[HarborGirl]

I assume I would need to buy the antibiotic online? I've been to petco and my local feed store and they don't have anything.

From reading on this forum I'm thinking the gurgling with drinking may be water going into his lungs.

 

[Eggcessive]

Feed stores that cater to cattle will usually have Tylan50, Tylan 200, both injectables that can be used orally or as shots, and Tylan Soluble Powder to use in the water. Sulfadimethoxine is sold under different brand names such as Di-Methox, and Sulmet is the same type of sulfa antibiotic, and easy to find. If I had to order something online, then I would go for Baytril or Enrofloxacin. Here is where to find that: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/959119/baytril-enrofloxacin-sources

 

[HarborGirl]

Thank you. I appreciate your help

 

[HarborGirl]

My rooster is still hanging in. He's stopped eating but is taking water.
I've purchased these two items through Amazon and they are arriving today:
Tylan 50 and Safe-Guard de wormer

Can anyone help me with the dosages? I've been reading through the forums on how to administer but I'm still confused and want to make sure I do it right.I'd prefer not to inject the Tylan but will do if that's the best or only way.