1 year old Roo falling over and breathing heavily. purple/ black comb

[Aimen amad]

So I have a year old rooster. He was not in a good condition when I bouught him because he was coloured and that made him weak. I had 4 other chicks along with him but they died due to some malady but my rooster lived through.we have winters here in Karachi right now so he got ill. He started falling over and breathing heavily suddenly at anytime. He also stopped crowing but other than that, he was normal. I got a medicine for him from a pet shop nearby and they told me to give it in hi water everyday and it helped alot. After plenty of days, now he started falling over again(which I feel like is an ear infection) and he didn't crow since he first got ill. His comb is always black or purple on the ends of it but when I take it under the sun, it becomes bright red. This is also something that I'm puzzled about. I just want some help!!!!!

 

[kumquat]

Hi - Wellcome to BYC! I wish it was under better circumstances. Sorry that your rooster is sick. This site has many helpful experienced chicken keepers who will want to help. Hopefully some of the local chicken experts, with more knowledge than I will be by soon. (It may be a little slower than normal as it is Christmas day.) In the meantime, there are a few questions that you can answer now / and actions that you can take while we are waiting:

If I understand correctly, your sick bird is a rooster who is 1 year old. You purchased him and 4 flock-mates as chicks (they were colored - I assume you mean dyed bright colors which you believe weakened their immune system's. The other 4 chicks previously died.

Your rooster's symptoms include:

• Has not crowed since becoming ill (did previously)
• Unpredictable episodes of heavy breathing (how would you describe this? is he struggling to breath? or panting- like when too hot?)
• Randomly falling over (does this happen at the same time as the breathing problems? or separately)
• The tips of his comb are usually black or purple but will become red again when he is in direct sunlight

Your rooster improved for a few days when you gave him medicine in his water but is now sick again. Please correct anything I misunderstood.

1) If you can post photos (or even better a video- first load it to Youtube or Vimeo and then link to it in your reply) of: a full body pic of your sick rooster, a sample of its recent poop, the medicine that the pet store gave you including its listed ingredients. These visuals will go a long way in helping you to get a correct diagnosis/treatment suggestions.

2) Since you are experiencing winter weather it is best to move a sick chicken inside where you can keep them warm and dry. While chickens can normally handle cold, when they are ill they need extra heat to aid their healing. People usually use small animal carrier/cages to isolate the birds inside. Isolating also make it easy to monitor behavior, food and water intake and if poop is normal.

3) For how many days has you rooster been sick? Have you thoroughly examined him? Is he still eating, pooping, and moving normally outside of the episodes? What medicine did the pet store give you? Did you give the medicine for the full number of recommended days?
4) What do you feed your rooster?
5) Where does he live? Coup? Fenced run? Free range? Is he part of a bigger flock?
6) How and when did your other 4 chicks die? (knowing this can help to determine if there is a pattern of disease in the flock)

Hoping for a quick recovery for your roo

 

[drumstick diva]

I hope someone will be able to diagnose his problem and suggest proper medications , if needed

 

[kumquat]

@Aimen amad, I forgot to ask:
7) How is your roosters weight? If you don't know how much he normally weights, it is a good idea to weigh now him so that you have a base line.

one last thing- it might be helpful to edit your thread title so it is more specific to your situation so members know what kind of help you need. If it were me I would change it to something like "1 year old Roo breathing heavily & falling over, comb is purple/black"

@penny1960 @sourland @Welshies Help request thread is over here

 

[Welshies]

@Aimen amad, I forgot to ask:
7) How is your roosters weight? If you don't know how much he normally weights, it is a good idea to weigh now him so that you have a base line.

one last thing- it might be helpful to edit your thread title so it is more specific to your situation so members know what kind of help you need. If it were me I would change it to something like "1 year old Roo breathing heavily & falling over, comb is purple/black"

@penny1960 @sourland @Welshies Help request thread is over here

I did have a look but I'm not really sure how to help. I'm unfamiliar with anything like this- my only suggestion would be to seperate him.

 

[Aimen amad]

God thank you!!!!!!!
Okay.. So ChuChu(his name) breathes heavily plenty of times only when he falls down. Its as if he is panicked or worried. When he falls, he flaps his wings but is never able to get up.

After he got I'll the first time I brought him inside and he lives in a cage which is covered with a blanket for him to stay warm.
He has been sick from the starting of the cold days that is the start of October I guess but he was fine for like 1 month until December where he started showing the same signs of illness.
I gave the medicine to my chuchu for about 2 weeks and a few days more but the recommended time was fifteen days and I have started giving it to him again.
As far as his activities or his appearance are concerned, he walked normally but looses his valence which is why he stumbles. He is fine looking. Just the eye which is covered by the bent-over comb is paler than the other. I'd call it lack of pigmentation and lately he had these yellow lumps on hiseye and forehead if thats what we call it but I clean those off with a wet tissue paper.
His poops are wet and brown in colour. I feed him millet seeds or white rice sometimes. I once fed him turnip as well and he loved it. Other than all this, he has a feed that I get from the pet shop. It smells really bad but it makes him grow and benefits him a lot!
Now I got these four cute chickens on my birthday last year. 3 died in approximately 4 months. Each one of them died the same way.
They stopped walking. Eyes closed. I wraped each one of them with blankets but they all died in the morning.
On more thing is that normally chicken grow very fast in at least 6 months. My chuchu was just a chicken in his sixth month but he suddenly started growing up when he was introduced to the new feed. His tail feathers are growing long but sideways. Is this wrong. P!ease tell me and he also he has red marks on his legs and bumps on each of his legs as well. Thank you again for helping me ❤
You can see my chuchu in my profile picture.
He weighs 1 kg only. I dunno if its right weight for a chicken or not.
@kumquat please reply and help me.

 

[Laodicia]

So I have a year old rooster. He was not in a good condition when I bouught him because he was coloured and that made him weak. I had 4 other chicks along with him but they died due to some malady but my rooster lived through.we have winters here in Karachi right now so he got ill. He started falling over and breathing heavily suddenly at anytime. He also stopped crowing but other than that, he was normal. I got a medicine for him from a pet shop nearby and they told me to give it in hi water everyday and it helped alot. After plenty of days, now he started falling over again(which I feel like is an ear infection) and he didn't crow since he first got ill. His comb is always black or purple on the ends of it but when I take it under the sun, it becomes bright red. This is also something that I'm puzzled about. I just want some help!!!!!

Personally i have no idea but this thread seems to cover the same topic and might point you in the right ddirection.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rooster-lethargic-and-comb-turning-black.202056/
Good luck hope he gets better.

 

[Aimen amad]

Thank you for helping me @Laodicia but my rooster is walking and running all fine. He even run out from the cage so he is not lethargic. He only falls down sometimes and that is what worries me

 

[Laodicia]

Thank you for helping me @Laodicia but my rooster is walking and running all fine. He even run out from the cage so he is not lethargic. He only falls down sometimes and that is what worries me

Hmm... the only guess i can make is breathing problems are making him fall down out of breath and the discoloration is from lack of oxygen. But not sure what he would be sick with. If hes the rooster in your profile picture hes gorgeous. Is there maybe a vet that would look at him?

 

[Aimen amad]

Thanks and yes he is!!
I feel like it coud be ear infection behind the cause of his imbalance. @Laodicia