Rooster not eating, pale comb, drinking a lot of water

[GardenerGal]

My two-year-old cream legbar rooster suddenly went pail in the comb and wattles. Checking him, I found he was infested with mites, and began treating him with Ivermectin. A week later, the mites were still persistant, so I began using a spray-on permethrin treatment. The mites seem to be under control now, but the rooster barely ate, today -- no droppings. For the past several days he has been drinking unusual amounts of water (there are vitamins and electrolytes added, at least).

Any suggestions? Is it possible that anemia from mites has been so severe that it is affecting him in this way? I don't smell sour crop, but thought that if he has another illness or condition, sour crop could accompany it?

 

[Jjdesmo11]

Do you worm your chickens? He could possibly be infested with worms. My chickens have had mites but never been too lethargic to eat

 

[GardenerGal]

Do you worm your chickens? He could possibly be infested with worms. My chickens have had mites but never been too lethargic to eat

That occurred to me, but I first treated with Ivermectin, which should have gotten the worms along with the mites. Maybe I underdosed. Am going to try again. I examined his droppings after the Ivermectin, and didn't find any sign of worms.

He isn't too lethargic to eat, he is just not eating. He has been drinking a lot of water and was relatively active today though a little weak.

Thank you for replying. Much appreciated.

 

[Jjdesmo11]

Oh sorry I didn’t realize ivermectin was a dewormer. I can’t think of anything common that you could have missed. Poop normal? Maybe just recovering from it all

 

[GardenerGal]

Oh sorry I didn’t realize ivermectin was a dewormer. I can’t think of anything common that you could have missed. Poop normal? Maybe just recovering from it all

He didn't eat, today. Just is drinking a lot. I put a mix of vitamin/electrolyte powder for poultry, plain yogurt and a little blackstrap molasses in his water so he would get some nutrition, but he did not poop today. Just a little while urate. I retreated him with ivermectin this evening. Now letting him rest.

 

[Jjdesmo11]

He didn't eat, today. Just is drinking a lot. I put a mix of vitamin/electrolyte powder for poultry, plain yogurt and a little blackstrap molasses in his water so he would get some nutrition, but he did not poop today. Just a little while urate. I retreated him with ivermectin this evening. Now letting him rest.

If he gets really weak you may need to syringe feed him. I believe @casportpony wrote an article about this. Did you try scrambled eggs or mealworms to entice him? The molasses will help perk him up and hopefully give him some energy to eat. Good luck it’s so hard when they get so weak like that. Hopefully he makes it through the night

 

[GardenerGal]

If he gets really weak you may need to syringe feed him. I believe @casportpony wrote an article about this. Did you try scrambled eggs or mealworms to entice him? The molasses will help perk him up and hopefully give him some energy to eat. Good luck it’s so hard when they get so weak like that. Hopefully he makes it through the night

Thanks. I have syringe fed chickens before, and yes, I have seen that great thread. It's a BYC classic! So far he is sleeping normally after drinking a lot of the electrolyte-vitamin-molasses-yogurt water, so will just have to wait till the morning and check.