Pale wattles and not thriving in my Polish Rooster

[Namastesmama]

For about the last 6 weeks, my frizzled Polish Rooster (1 1/2 years old) has had pale wattles, has been rather “droopy” and listless, and appetite has been off as well. He even had some issues with standing/walking at one point. About one month prior several in the flock had finished molting (him included), but all the girls are bright-eyed and had no issues whatsoever (nor do they display any issues now either) so I don’t think that has anything to do with this but I’m grasping here. He had no other symptoms so I thought maybe a thiamine deficiency as I had another Polish Roo have the same and I treated with Brewers Yeast in the water (my other Roo recovered quickly). Also treated with Brewer’s Yeast, he’s back up on his feet and walking but pale wattles and still looks unwell. Stools appear normal. I’ve always fed layer feed to my mixed flocks without any issues with my roosters (lived long lives). But since I’m grasping, have just switched to All Flock and even added Rooster Booster to the feed in case it was some type of different vitamin/mineral deficiency. I sincerely doubt it could be calcium toxicity from the layer feed since he’s only 1 1/2 years old, but Polish are not as sturdy as other breeds so I’ll try anything and entertain all possibilities at this point. Was thinking of Poultry Cell to get vitamins/minerals in faster? His eyes are clear, has no lesions anywhere, feet/legs look good, no mites/lice, feathers have grown back beautifully, but he is thin from having been off his feed. Don’t get me wrong, he goes and eats and drinks but he’s just not as vigorous as all the girls are. They literally RUN to me when I walk in the run and he does not. And within the last couple of days, I’ve noticed that one of my other Polish Roo’s wattles are looking a bit pale as well, also the same age (has no other symptoms). An this one is in a separate coop/run and has been for about 9 months with other non-Polish chickens that all have beautifully red combs/wattles. I have looked at all the links to chicken illnesses on here and nothing applies. So what is going on?!?! What can I do??? Is there something I’m missing??? I’m sorry for the length of this post, I just wanted to try and cover everything

 

[Farmgirl283420]

For about the last 6 weeks, my frizzled Polish Rooster (1 1/2 years old) has had pale wattles, has been rather “droopy” and listless, and appetite has been off as well. He even had some issues with standing/walking at one point. About one month prior several in the flock had finished molting (him included), but all the girls are bright-eyed and had no issues whatsoever (nor do they display any issues now either) so I don’t think that has anything to do with this but I’m grasping here. He had no other symptoms so I thought maybe a thiamine deficiency as I had another Polish Roo have the same and I treated with Brewers Yeast in the water (my other Roo recovered quickly). Also treated with Brewer’s Yeast, he’s back up on his feet and walking but pale wattles and still looks unwell. Stools appear normal. I’ve always fed layer feed to my mixed flocks without any issues with my roosters (lived long lives). But since I’m grasping, have just switched to All Flock and even added Rooster Booster to the feed in case it was some type of different vitamin/mineral deficiency. I sincerely doubt it could be calcium toxicity from the layer feed since he’s only 1 1/2 years old, but Polish are not as sturdy as other breeds so I’ll try anything and entertain all possibilities at this point. Was thinking of Poultry Cell to get vitamins/minerals in faster? His eyes are clear, has no lesions anywhere, feet/legs look good, no mites/lice, feathers have grown back beautifully, but he is thin from having been off his feed. Don’t get me wrong, he goes and eats and drinks but he’s just not as vigorous as all the girls are. They literally RUN to me when I walk in the run and he does not. And within the last couple of days, I’ve noticed that one of my other Polish Roo’s wattles are looking a bit pale as well, also the same age (has no other symptoms). An this one is in a separate coop/run and has been for about 9 months with other non-Polish chickens that all have beautifully red combs/wattles. I have looked at all the links to chicken illnesses on here and nothing applies. So what is going on?!?! What can I do??? Is there something I’m missing??? I’m sorry for the length of this post, I just wanted to try and cover everything

@azygous @fluffycrow

 

[azygous]

It's not at all uncommon for a chicken to be listless and even anemic during and following a hard molt. I try to head this off by feeding a high quality animal protein such as fish once a week during molt.

Sometimes, even these special feedings of protein are not enough. A chicken in heavy molt can feel so unwell, their appetite suffers. Then it snowballs into starvation and weakness, further sapping a chicken's health. In this case, I will do a single tube feeding with raw egg, yogurt, some cereal, Poultry Nutri-drench and sugar to elevate the glucose.

This is usually all it takes to give the weak chicken a quick jolt of nutrition that will supply the energy to start eating again. I usually see a return to normal with a week or two as long as molt is not ongoing.

 

[cherrysPolishchicks]

It's not at all uncommon for a chicken to be listless and even anemic during and following a hard molt. I try to head this off by feeding a high quality animal protein such as fish once a week during molt.

Sometimes, even these special feedings of protein are not enough. A chicken in heavy molt can feel so unwell, their appetite suffers. Then it snowballs into starvation and weakness, further sapping a chicken's health. In this case, I will do a single tube feeding with raw egg, yogurt, some cereal, Poultry Nutri-drench and sugar to elevate the glucose.

This is usually all it takes to give the weak chicken a quick jolt of nutrition that will supply the energy to start eating again. I usually see a return to normal with a week or two as long as molt is not ongoing.

If I noticed a listless Roo I would check where he sleeps. Mine often sleep separate to their girls - all the better to guard them. I always suspect red mights.
You will not see them on the chicken.
You will find them in the tiniest of cracks near where he sleeps. Often where the perch joins the wall. Or the underside of the perch. Under bedding, under dried poo. Otherwise I agree with azygous. I often feed yolk to boost health. I feed omelet sans shell to chicks, omelet made of whole eggs in the blender to adults.