2 year old silkie rooster off balance and stumbling, but alert and "chicken-y"

[pixie546]

Evening everyone! I have an almost 2 yr old Silkie cross rooster named Gordon who has taken a turn. He has always been kind of a loner so I'm not worried that he's staying to himself. He has been walking very slowly and sometimes will stumble and catch his balance with a wing. I have seen him eating some and drinking, but he feels very light when I pick him up. Sometimes he stands still and sort of stretches his neck and head funny,. I was out of town for a while so I didn't catch his "illness" at first.

So far, I have: put vitamins in the water, given yogurt and ACV to strengthen everyone, checked him for any visible oddity, dipped his legs in oil (he has had scaly leg mites bad in the past--ONLY HIM which is weird!), topically dosed him with Ivermectin, checked his throat and felt his crop. His feet are pink (he's a cross, with a big red pointy comb! haha!), and they seem a little inflamed, but it could just be healing from the mites. I have some tetracycline powder that I may give him in a syringe. Maybe.

EVERYONE ELSE IS JUST FINE!!!!!

He could just be deposed from "head rooster". I don't hear him crow anymore. He rests a lot. But he still makes it all over the yard with the flock when they are out ranging. Today he was moving more and seemed more alert, but still really wobbly. He has trouble jumping off the ramp into the coop. But, when he's hunting and pecking for foood, he seems happy, and my little mille fleur cochin sweeties still hang around him for treats! So because it seems to be past the point where everyone else would have already gotten sick, I've just left him with his gang. Any thoughts??? Vet is not an option, I'd just cull him if I have to.

 

[chickenzoo]

What does his crop feel like......? He could be impacted, that is why he is stretching his head and neck and losing weight. How long ago did you worm?

 

[pixie546]

I'll have to check his crop again-- the first exam was at night and a little rushed after work. It didn't seem over hard or over bulgy. Or stinky. I wormed him Monday night. I'll do some crop massaging and try bread with olive oil like some of the posts I've read say to. When he is falling it's to the side, not forward. It looks like his legs give out a little.

 

[chickenzoo]

If he had worms and was skinny, that would make him weak. When chickens get weak it often affects their legs and balance first...if you just wormed him it will take a bit to build back weight and strength. Keep him seperated, keep him warm and food and water close. Add vitamins and feed him extra protein like scrambled eggs, wet dog food etc....​

 

[pixie546]

Well, this morning when I went to see everyone, the others were all out in thr run and Gordon was still in the coop. Not normal! He was on the perch just fine but looked like he has hiccuups or Parkinson's. He is moving his head and neck all weird. I'll most likely cull the poor guy.

 

[chickenzoo]

Could he have wry neck? It is often seen in Silkies. You give vitamin E. often if they get stressed it seems to come on for some reason.....

 

[pixie546]

I was just looking at all the wry neck posts!!! I bet that is it. I'm going to go out and isolate him in a dog kennel, even though he will hate it.

On hand I only have the Vitamin and Electolyte powder, I'll have to run out and get some of the Poly-Vit whatever liquid vitamin I've been reading about. That'll be better than nothing!!

Poor guy! If he did get bumped from head rooster that could have caused him stress. He didn't present with the neck symptoms at first so I thought it must have been a complication with his scaly leg mite situation!!! Thanks for all your input! Updates to follow!!! Fingers crossed!! I know he's "just" a chicken, but he is my favorite of my silkie roosters cause he's sooo cute. He is light lemon yellow, very pale, with a giant bright red comb and wattles, and a prominent breast so he looks like a fluffy basketball.

 

[TinyBirds]

We had a rooster (cochin bantam) that had the same thing a couple months ago. I really really thought he would die, but then I wormed him and was totally shocked he returned to normal.

 

[pixie546]

Just an update on my little guy---about 7 days ago I started giving him the Poly-'Vi-Sol half a dropper and Tetracyclene antibiotics every single night. He wavered a bit at first, but he's recovered!!! No more stumbling, no more weird rolling of his neck, no more lolling his head back with his beak open. He is standing tall, walking as fast as the others, and he crowed today for the first time in weeks!!!! It was high and sqeaky like a new rooster, but it was him! He also had his way with one of the hens so I know FOR SURE he is feeling better!

 

[igep]

How much tetracycline? Were you able to buy it over the counter??