12 year old cockerel with possible constipation?

[carmen]

Hi Guys, i am hoping that someone can offer some advice.
I have a brahma bantam cockerel called Bertie that will be 13 years old this spring. He has always been very healthy but recently he has been suffering (i think) from constipation. For the last few weeks i have had to clean his bottom every day. When he goes to the toilet it seems to stick round his vent causing a plug and actually sticks to the sides of his vent like a scab that bleeds if pulled off. I have been bathing his bottom with warm water but today he seems off his food. His bottom is clear but he's making clucking noises and straining to go to the toilet.
Does any one else have experience with geriatric chickens?! Is this a common problem? Any advice would be great...he really is a lovely old boy!
Thankyou

 

[Miss Lydia]

First of all Congratulations for having had a chicken live that long! I have never experienced constipation with any of my chickens, but my oldest is 2 LOL but I would imagine just as when us humans get old and experience this so do aging fowl. Will he eat plain yogurt? You might want to try something like that it will help him with good gut flora. Or even butter milk or plain kifer you might try mixing some of his favorite snack in with it to intice him, Have you changed food recently? Also flax seeds are really good to help with constipation. Maybe try to make him more comfortable after you clean him by putting something like bag balm or prep H ot vaseline around the area that is sticking. also trim his feathers back there that will help also. Hope I've help some, and hopefully some one else will have more suggestions. Also

 

[carmen]

Thanks for the reply Miss lydia.
I have trimmed his feathers around his bum and have been putting savlon on him (antiseptic cream). I will get him some natural yoghurt in the morning and see if it makes any difference to him.
He lived in my kitchen for a week before christmas as we have had our coldest winter on record this year in England. I was concerned he wouldn't cope well with the sub zero temperatures and he was quite reluctant to go back outside again! Whilst being indoors he was eating very well.
I was also concerned as he seems to have lost a bit of weight in the last 2 weeks. I guess if he is a little constipated he wont feel like eating a lot.

Thanks for the advice

 

[Miss Lydia]

Your very welcome, and you are a good chicken mom. Most chickens like yogurt, but him being the age he is might not take to it as well as most so you might have to put something in it to help him, If you can find some flax seeds to put into his feed or the yogurt that would be really good for him. When you put him back outside did you do it slowly what I mean is you didn't take him from a warm in doors and put him back out into the cold? I am sure you probably know alot more than me about chickens if you've had him for 13 yrs. so i don't want to offend you by asking that question. Please let me know how he's getting along

 

[weesy68]

What part of England are you in? I'm in CT but from Somerset originally. That's an old rooster! Good luck with him.