Sick Roo.

[hattie13]

Hi everyone, hoping for some guidance. Noticed my (approximately 5 year old) rooster wasn’t himself last night and today checked on him a couple times and he wasn’t eating. Easily scooped him up as he was lethargic (comb was red but purplish about half way up). When I tucked him under my arm, he began spewing clear, putrid liquid. I immediately called my vet and they said it sounded like a respiratory thing and sent my husband home with a bottle of penicillin). Other than some gurgling after his bout of expelling the putrid liquid, this has stopped and he is every so often clicking his beak like he’s eating something. I have been massaging his crop which is soft and balloony- leading me to lean more towards sour crop. My question is, if I start the penicillin, is there any risk here? If I don’t, what should I be doing to help him? Thank you in advance!

 

[hattie13]

A little more info... he’s able to hold his head up but when I massage his crop, his head falls limp and he acts like it weighs a million pounds. I’m currently withdrawing food and water but am totally at a loss.

 

[Sally PB]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive
Any help for this roo?

 

[Eggcessive]

You should not withhold water ever. Be careful massaging his crop if it is full and squishy, since that can make him vomit and choke on it. Did the putrid smelling liquid look like mucus or crop contents? Is he having any respiratory symptoms, such as runny nostrils, watery or bubbly eyes, cough or sneeze, crackles when breathing? It sounds like he might have a sour crop. That can be bacterial or from a fungus. Bacterial crop problems are treated with antibiotics while fungal infections are treated with antifungals. It might also be good to worm him. Here is some info on crop problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[featherhead007]

Use the penicillin. It helped save several of my birds from a respratory infection

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Noticed my (approximately 5 year old) rooster wasn’t himself last night and today checked on him a couple times and he wasn’t eating. Easily scooped him up as he was lethargic (comb was red but purplish about half way up). When I tucked him under my arm, he began spewing clear, putrid liquid. I immediately called my vet and they said it sounded like a respiratory thing and sent my husband home with a bottle of penicillin). Other than some gurgling after his bout of expelling the putrid liquid, this has stopped and he is every so often clicking his beak like he’s eating something. I have been massaging his crop which is soft and balloony- leading me to lean more towards sour crop. My question is, if I start the penicillin, is there any risk here?

he’s able to hold his head up but when I massage his crop, his head falls limp and he acts like it weighs a million pounds. I’m currently withdrawing food and water but am totally at a loss.

Make water available for him.

Is he pooping at all? Can you get some photos of him and his poop?

Spewing putrid water, clicking the beak and acting like he's eating along with gurgling and having a soft balloony crop --- Sounds like a crop issue to me.

Have you ever wormed him? That would be something I would consider doing too.
Since you have vet care, take poop sample in and have your vet check it.

Often a crop issue is a symptom of an underlying condition - so he may have more than one condition that needs to be addressed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[hattie13]

Thank you everyone. We took Rusty to an avian specialist who sadly told us that he had fluid in his abdomen and that he was likely having liver/heart failure. He passed at home this morning in my arms. I appreciate all of the advice and insight.

 

[Sally PB]

RIP Rusty. You did what you could to help him. Thank you and hugs.

 

[Eggcessive]

Very sorry about losing Rusty, but glad that you saw a vet and found out what might have been wrong.

 

[Tonyroo]

Sorry for your loss.