Rooster losing balance and sleepy.

[WeNeedDrPhil]

Hey everyone! I must say the past month and some change was pretty rough for me. My hen with canker unfortunately passed away despite my (and your!) efforts. And now my rooster seems to be sick also. I have already confirmed by peeking into his beak that it is not canker, which was the cause of death for my hen.
I noticed a few weeks ago that my rooster who is about 2 years old seemed more sleepy than usual compared to my other rooster, but I thought that he was simply tired or something insignificant. But this week I've noticed that he's even more sleepy and when he tries to walk he seems to be losing his balance (Like how after spinning for a while you'd feel off balance and going sideways). Otherwise he doesn't seem weak. I tried to check if he had eaten anything, but his crop seems very tough and yellow? Almost looks like there's a layer of fat over his crop, and I cannot tell if he's eaten. Needless to say this got me worried and I'm really not sure why he's like this. Any help is appreciated

 

[WeNeedDrPhil]

After giving him some food and monitoring him for a while, I can confirm that he does eat a bit, but certainly not as much as the others and isn't very enthusiastic to do so. He is a bit lighter than my other rooster, but the difference isn't huge.

 

[chickens really]

Fatty liver disease?..Mereks?..So many things could be the cause?.

 

[WeNeedDrPhil]

Fatty liver disease?..Mereks?..So many things could be the cause?.

Doesn't sound like either is the case. Anything I can post to narrow it down?

 

[chickens really]

Possibly coccidiosis?

 

[WeNeedDrPhil]

Possibly coccidiosis?

Hmm... That might be it, but does it also affect roosters? It is kinda cold here. their water bowls are often wet all around thanks to our ducks. We do have 8 chicks and none of them seem afflicted. I'll clean our their coop either way.

 

[chickens really]

Hmm... That might be it, but does it also affect roosters? It is kinda cold here. their water bowls are often wet all around thanks to our ducks. We do have 8 chicks and none of them seem afflicted. I'll clean our their coop either way.

I would treat all the Chickens to be safe. If you have Chicks they can die quickly.
@Wyorp Rock will know the proper dosage

 

[WeNeedDrPhil]

Treat with what? I gave him about half a handful of corn, so I hope he won't be hungry.

 

[chickens really]

Treat with what? I gave him about half a handful of corn, so I hope he won't be hungry.

Corrid..

 

[Wyorp Rock]

2 years old seemed more sleepy than usual

he's even more sleepy and when he tries to walk he seems to be losing his balance (Like how after spinning for a while you'd feel off balance and going sideways).

his crop seems very tough and yellow? Almost looks like there's a layer of fat over his crop,

I gave him about half a handful of corn, so I hope he won't be hungry.

What do you normally feed him?

Picture of his poop may be helpful along with some pics of him and what his crop looks like - I'm having a hard time imagining a crop that is tough and yellow? A layer of fat - how does his breast feel - fatty too?

If you have a vet that will accept a stool sample, I encourage you to have a fecal float to rule out worms and coccidiosis. It probably won't hurt to treat for both, but knowing what type of worms (if any) he has will let you know what medication to use for treatment.

Check his crop first thing in the morning before he eats/drinks - it should be empty.
Do what you can to keep him drinking. Cut out the corn for now - give him only his normal poultry feed or some chick starter to eat. You can also offer some chopped egg as a treat.

Look forward to the photos.