12 Year Old Male Turned into Quasimodo Overnight

[WoodlandWoman]

Is there any way it's botulism? That can start with trembling, right? And has a lot of neurological symptoms. Doesn't it also sometimes cause neck problems, too? Limberneck?

I hope you can find help. Poor guy.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
What with? Not all wormers will affect all kinds of worms.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[ravencreek]

Maybe he was trying to mount a hen and something was dislocated? Or arthritis and he was trying to crow? From his position it looks possible. Chickens can get arthritis just like people and at 12 he is a very likely candidate. Have you tried to straighten him up?

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Yes, I've tried straightening him, but he just winds up in that position again.

I wormed him with SafeGuard or something of that sort. It was goat wormer and it will get roundworms, tapeworms, cecal worms and I believe something else.

Woodland Woman, good try but if it were botulism, he would have been laying on the ground paralyzed. Limber neck comes from a person picking up the bird and the neck being so limber that it looks like the bird is dead. Feathers will come out of the bird affected with botulism very easily.

Internals are a thought, but his poo comes out completely normal? Not even liquidy??

 

[tiki244]

For neurological problems it has been suggested to give Hypericum, a homeopathic medication that can be bought at a human health food store~dissolve one tab in one tablespoon distilled water(tap water no good for this) give the bird 10-15 drops in mouth every 12 hours and make sure he closes it and gets it onto the roof of his mouth ~ I say its worth a try ~ even though its not Mareks ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=135247





otherwise prednisone and vitamin therapy as described in this article~




http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html

 

[ivan3]

I'd also guess dislocation or break (complications due to osteoarthritis gets many of us old birds). The posture could be due to the actual injury or guarding posture to decrease pain.

I'd send off some shots to UCDavis or Cornell to see if this is something they've run into.

I'd probably try aspirin or dexamethasone and then observe his behavior for any change in posture and activity level.

Sure hope our guy lives as long.

Good luck!

 

[freddy22]

12 years is impressive.....i would say that if you straightened him out and then he went right back to this that maybe something IS bothering him and this is just more comfortable......did you feel all the way down his back to his tail end for any knots, bumps, etc..?

 

[luvmychicknkids]

This is going to sound really stupid, but here goes. I have a serious, old, back injury. Once in awhile it goes out. That reminds me of me when that happens so my guess is some type of spinal injury.

 

[#1California Chick]

WOW!! 12 YEARS OLD!! I think that the reason that you are not getting any REALLY helpful suggestions IS that NO ONE has ever seen a 12 year old ROO before!!!

Congratulations on doing such a GOOD job of taking care of your Roo!!!

I would think that it just might be time to accept that he is a record living roo and it just might be his time.

Cindy

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

When I say, straighten him out, I mean I held him in my hands and moved him around. When I was done he was straight but the second I put him on the ground, he returned to that position. It's kind of like he's "stuck"??

I guess I'm going to have to do vitamin therapy this next weekend. I can only go back on weekends so any type of therapy is a difficulty. I just hope he keeps his spirit and his love of breeding up until my Spring Break next week! LOL!

I just sent off the photos and the video to my professor at the UofA, so maybe he'll have an idea?

If not and it's Mr. Mom's time, I want him to do the necropsy, I think it will be interesting to see what happened in there. Knowing him, he'll want to keep the skeleton as a project for the Anatomy students to build! LOL