9 Week Cockerel

[KikiLeigh02]

I bought 6 Black Australorps from a local breeder, 3 of them turned out to be cockerels so I re-homed two of them on 5/26. My remaining 3 plus 2 Barred Rock pullets are still really healthy and happy. Last Thursday morning the new owner found one of them dead first thing in the morning, no obvious injuries. The other one seemed fine. He watched him closely over the weekend and said he does a lot of standing with his eyes closed and hunches his back. No wheezing, no sneezing, no other symptoms, looks healthy otherwise and is eating and drinking well. He has two ducks nearby but nothing else. Any ideas? I sent a package of Sav-A-Chick probiotics and a package of Sav-A-Chick electrolytes when I gave them to him but he didn't offer them until yesterday. Anything I could suggest to him? Could he just be lonely?

 

[ronott1]

I bought 6 Black Australorps from a local breeder, 3 of them turned out to be cockerels so I re-homed two of them on 5/26. My remaining 3 plus 2 Barred Rock pullets are still really healthy and happy. Last Thursday morning the new owner found one of them dead first thing in the morning, no obvious injuries. The other one seemed fine. He watched him closely over the weekend and said he does a lot of standing with his eyes closed and hunches his back. No wheezing, no sneezing, no other symptoms, looks healthy otherwise and is eating and drinking well. He has two ducks nearby but nothing else. Any ideas? I sent a package of Sav-A-Chick probiotics and a package of Sav-A-Chick electrolytes when I gave them to him but he didn't offer them until yesterday. Anything I could suggest to him? Could he just be lonely?

At that age and with those symptoms, I would suspect coccidiosis

 

[KikiLeigh02]

I'll mention it to him. It won't hurt to treat him with Corid if it's not coccidiosis right? I did ask about his poop, and he said it was still normal. But that could just mean it's a mild case right now? Sorry, we haven't experienced any illness yet other than a bruised leg. I really need an Emoji that knocks on wood.

 

[Farm life101]

Could just be depressed if it’s not coccidosis my chickens get real depressed when one dies sometimes they even stop eating for a day. My chickens have a pretty tight bond. Yours could have had a bond to

 

[KikiLeigh02]

They were definitely bonded, I sent the two of them instead of one of them and the other cockerel because they seemed so close. Always roosted together, never far from one another. It just makes me so sad, they were so healthy when I took them. I really wanted to offer to take the other one back, but I don't have any where to quarantine at the moment, so I can't risk it.

 

[coach723]

Treating with Corid will not hurt anything even if that's not what it is. I would treat.
Moving birds to new ground can expose them to strains not previously exposed to, that they have not had a chance to build resistance to.

 

[KikiLeigh02]

Thank you all! I have some Corid at the house we bought when I introduced the last few pullets to the rest of our flock, but we didn't need it. I'll send it to him.

 

[KikiLeigh02]

Well, the guy thinks he figured it out. He treated with Corid for 5 days but he said he couldn't tell a difference in behavior. So Saturday night he started bringing the little guy in his house at night because he hasn't quite figured out roosting, and the issues have stopped. He thought his duck had quit laying, but this morning he found a snake stealing the eggs. He had the little roosters in a separate but connected pen with his ducks. So he's thinking the snake got the other little rooster, but then wasn't able to eat him.