9 month old cockerel looking under the weather, what could be wrong

[desertmarcy]

I have a 9 month old blue copper Marans cockerel, hatched here, that has been looking kinda under the weather the past couple of days. His comb has lost its bright red color and is pale pink, he spends a lot of time just hunched over standing around (see photo), but he is eating well. His 3 hens are doing fine. I have never wormed my birds, they are in a new area, never used for chickens before, plus this is a desert area, dry, not much to worry about worm-wise (I don't think

). What do you think could be wrong, and what can I do for him to perk him up? I do have some Safeguard paste on hand, if that is a good dewormer, how much to use? I read someone suggested a pea-sized bit. Thanks, he's my only Blue Copper Marans male, I have a few chicks growing and more eggs to go in the incubator, but if I lose him, it will be a while before I can grow a replacement.

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

BEAUTIFUL boy..

Search here on BYC... look for posts by dawg53... I am not sure about Safeguard Paste..... I have used Valbazen liquid... and Zimecterin Gold paste... and it has been suggested that I can use Safeguard LIQUID GOAT WORMER next time around... Search "worming with ..... "

The Zimecterin Gold paste Rx was a "pea" size (green wasabe pea size) on bread or something for each STANDARD sized chicken.. and a BB size -- BB gun BB size for bantam or small chickens.. being VERY careful to only give one dose, personal doses.. do not let others get another piece of medicated bread.

You might use the Safeguard if it is o.k. and recommended by someone like dawg53.... I just don't know about the Safeguard paste... is it a horse or goat wormer??

But, when worming you have to repeat in 10 days.. so.. you might consider Valbazen for the next dose.. and worm all your chickens and withhold eggs as well...

You can also check your roos crop.. (massage it, see if he seems sour or impacted/hard)... and check poop for worms... and vent and "armpits" for mites.. Sevin Dust for mites.. and worms are in bugs and worms so if they eat bugs they get worms.... (just because you don't see worms in the poop doesn't mean they don't have worms).

Check out or even PM dawg53 about this... (and don't worm baby chicks... and do worm each chicken individually)

Good luck.

 

[desertmarcy]

I brought him inside today, gave him a dose of oxytetracycline in a bowl of chopped mouse, he was dehydrated, probably too weak to stand up and drip from the water nipples, but he readily drank all the liquid with the antibiotic in it and mouse juice/blood from a bowl while sitting on my lap, then ate all the chopped mouse. He doesn't have any problems with his crop, but he is very, very thin, protruding breast bone with little meat around it. I'm glad I brought him inside, it is raining and getting much colder here. He is still drinking and eating on his own, thank goodness. Hope he recovers. I'll try doing a fecal on him tomorrow, I have a microscope, and see if I see any parasite eggs. In the meantime, I'll give him lots of treats and high calorie stuff.

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[juliechick]

Did you check around the vent for red mites? I had a hen this week doing exactly that same stance and she had red mites on her. Even if you don't see mites, you will see the red places and sores where they have been biting.

 

[desertmarcy]

Never had mites on my birds, checked anyway, he's clean of that. He looks the same this morning, hunched over and no energy, pale comb. But he is eating and drinking, so there is hope. I gave him some chopped apple with turkey fat/grease on it this morning--trying to put some meat back on him. He liked it, but not as much as the diced mice

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[seminolewind]

I would use the safeguard paste, and use a pea size. I would also treat for coccidiosis and look for mites and lice. My personal thought would be coccidiosis, but I would cover all these.

 

[pamcpitts]

I can relate to you also, I have a hen (GLW) and her comb is pale, and same thing eats and drinks, but checked her out and no mites and she is pretty healthy no wait lost, she was losing some feathers, because I think she was molting. Puzzled like you, good luck.