thin rooster

[Eme]

So we started out with 8 chickens the past summer, and now due to marek's we are left with 6. Today, I picked up one of the roosters, and I noticed his breast bone is very sharp, and that he is really thin. He seems to be alert and eating, so what could it be? Could he be the next victim of marek's? Or may there be another reason? He's always been tiny, not sure if its his breed or if he's just some sort of runt. I watched him walking around and he doesn't seem to have any problems moving or walking. Any ideas?

 

[al6517]

Check him for Lice & Mites, they act as yours are now but just become unthrifty until they finally pass, if they are infested. Check around the Vent for egg sack's and little brown crawley's all over. If this is the case the fix is easy and he will begin to improve in a flash.

AL

 

[Eme]

Hi, I checked for lice and mites and didnt see anything out of the ordinary, though im no expert at finding them. Could it be something like worms? if so, how would I check for that? Should i treat them with some sort of medication in the chance he has something like mites/worms? If so, what sort of medication should I use? Is there some general one that would take care of whatever is plaguing him?I just don't want to lose another one..

 

[Judy]

You could try worming. Or get a fecal and find out. Usually even vets who don't treat chickens will do this for not too much money; it's a microscopic exam of the stool.

Safest thing is to start with piperazine. It doesn't get all worms, but if there is a bad infestation, they should be able to cope with the toxins from killing them. I'll give you some links and you can read up and decide for yourself. I don't know what's available there, anyway.

http://healthybirds.umd.edu/Disease/Deworming Birds.pdf

http://healthybirds.umd.edu/Disease/Deworming Birds.pdf

http://healthybirds.umd.edu/Disease/Deworming Birds.pdf

There are lots of threads on worming here.

Another thing, do you have more than one feeder? Is his crop nice and full at the end of the day, and empty early in the day? If he's low on the pecking order they might be keeping him away from food too much.

I hope you can get it straightened out.

 

[Eme]

Thanks, I found a place that sells piperazine, and will have to do a trip out there tonight or tomorrow. He's still not doing well. Sitting on the perch with his wings drooping, looking pretty tired and unwell. I think the cold is affecting him more as well, since hes very thin, so I put a heater in there for tonight. They have two places to get food, and usually the bigger chickens stay outside of the coop all day, so I don't think its a problem of him reaching the food. I just hope it is something solvable like worms, and not another case of marek's

he doesnt seem to have trouble walking though, so im really at a loss to what it is.

 

[Eme]

Hi everyone, so its been a few days since I wormed them, and I have been putting vitamins in their water. There has been no real change in the rooster until today, and now he's gotten worse. His one wing has drooped so much that he is now stepping on it. It gets in the way when he walks around. He is still very thin and pale combed and weak. However he eats and drinks. Any other ideas of what it could be?