Bony rooster

Jkanyok

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I got a young Silkie roo 4 weeks ago, he’s 8 months old now, his name is Danny, and he’s been light since I got him. Originally I figured it was just because he’s still a “teenager,” and so I simply monitored him. He was quarantined in a pen on the porch for 2 weeks, and I didn’t really see him eat as much as I thought he should. He’d show interest when I put his feed down but would very quickly stop paying attention to his food when he’d hear my girls in the yard. He started feeling skinnier, and I thought he was too focused on being with everyone else. He showed no sign of illness, so I dewormed him with praziquantel (Zimecterin Gold) on 9/22 and also treated him with Selamectin (Revolution) topically for any possible external parasite infestation (I didn’t see anything but brought mites into my flock once before so now I don’t take the chance), and I put him out with my flock.
He’s been out with them ever since. My established roo is a Satin Silkie named Kurtis, he’s very accepting and after the first few minutes, Kurtis was fine with Danny. There doesn’t seem to be any stress in the flock, the pecking order is Sylvia Rae at the highest, Kurtis, then Danny. Danny is extremely inquisitive and protective. He’ll check me out and will even try to nip at me when I enter their pen, but he’s fine when I pick him up. I’m afraid he’s ignoring food due to his interest in protecting the girls, but I’m not sure if there could be an illness involved instead, and I really don’t know what to do to get him to put on weight. He keeps getting skinnier. He’s super skinny now, I can feel his entire keel bone and a divot at his thoracic inlet. I’m so worried about him. I did notice last week that his stills looked runny so I did a course of Corid in the water for everybody, his poops are normal now but he’s skinnier.
So my questions are, does this sound behavioral or could there be some illness that I’m not thinking of? If so, what kind of testing would I do to check? And lastly, I have a 2x4x2’ bird cage I could put him in and bring him inside to try to separate him from hearing the girls at all, see if he’ll put on weight—would that be appropriate?
I am a veterinary technician so I have access to a lot of health care if need be, however my boss doesn’t like birds so it’s not like I could bring Danny in for an X-ray, but I could get medicines.
Their coop is 4x6, there’s 9 birds total but only 8 sleep in the coop. Their pen is 20x30’. Their feed is NatureWise All Flock crumbles, plus veggies daily, sometimes fruit, and leftovers.
Thank you all for your help in advance!
 
I got a young Silkie roo 4 weeks ago, he’s 8 months old now, his name is Danny, and he’s been light since I got him. Originally I figured it was just because he’s still a “teenager,” and so I simply monitored him. He was quarantined in a pen on the porch for 2 weeks, and I didn’t really see him eat as much as I thought he should. He’d show interest when I put his feed down but would very quickly stop paying attention to his food when he’d hear my girls in the yard. He started feeling skinnier, and I thought he was too focused on being with everyone else. He showed no sign of illness, so I dewormed him with praziquantel (Zimecterin Gold) on 9/22 and also treated him with Selamectin (Revolution) topically for any possible external parasite infestation (I didn’t see anything but brought mites into my flock once before so now I don’t take the chance), and I put him out with my flock.
He’s been out with them ever since. My established roo is a Satin Silkie named Kurtis, he’s very accepting and after the first few minutes, Kurtis was fine with Danny. There doesn’t seem to be any stress in the flock, the pecking order is Sylvia Rae at the highest, Kurtis, then Danny. Danny is extremely inquisitive and protective. He’ll check me out and will even try to nip at me when I enter their pen, but he’s fine when I pick him up. I’m afraid he’s ignoring food due to his interest in protecting the girls, but I’m not sure if there could be an illness involved instead, and I really don’t know what to do to get him to put on weight. He keeps getting skinnier. He’s super skinny now, I can feel his entire keel bone and a divot at his thoracic inlet. I’m so worried about him. I did notice last week that his stills looked runny so I did a course of Corid in the water for everybody, his poops are normal now but he’s skinnier.
So my questions are, does this sound behavioral or could there be some illness that I’m not thinking of? If so, what kind of testing would I do to check? And lastly, I have a 2x4x2’ bird cage I could put him in and bring him inside to try to separate him from hearing the girls at all, see if he’ll put on weight—would that be appropriate?
I am a veterinary technician so I have access to a lot of health care if need be, however my boss doesn’t like birds so it’s not like I could bring Danny in for an X-ray, but I could get medicines.
Their coop is 4x6, there’s 9 birds total but only 8 sleep in the coop. Their pen is 20x30’. Their feed is NatureWise All Flock crumbles, plus veggies daily, sometimes fruit, and leftovers.
Thank you all for your help in advance!
Hey! Runny poops arent a issue for this, because its connected to him drinking more water then eating, so its runnier.
you should seperate the chickens when eating, let him eat separately. Thats what we did, it worked fine. Best of luck!
 
Hey! Runny poops arent a issue for this, because its connected to him drinking more water then eating, so its runnier.
you should seperate the chickens when eating, let him eat separately. Thats what we did, it worked fine. Best of luck!
Thank you, but that’s what I started out with when I first got him, he was separated when he first started getting skinny—unless you mean I should bring him inside completely? Cuz I can do that, I just didn’t know if that would cause him more stress.
 
:welcome I'd run a fecal on him to check for cocci or worms. If they are negative, I would guess that his teenage hormone rush and infatuation with the girls is the root cause of his lean condition.
I will send out a fecal on him tomorrow just in case he’s got something that’s not been treated for already. Will they actually run themselves to death? I’m so worried.
 
Thank you, but that’s what I started out with when I first got him, he was separated when he first started getting skinny—unless you mean I should bring him inside completely? Cuz I can do that, I just didn’t know if that would cause him more stress.
No no, i just mean seperate him during eating time so he can eat properly.
 
Also I just now found grain mites in my feed storage container. Getting a new bag and cleaning the container and their feeder now, and I think I’m going to move the storage container inside. I know grain mites can cause problems, but would it happen that fast? Maybe he was just thin when I got him cuz he’s a young man, and the grain mites are causing digestive upset. Crossing my fingers, but any other advice will be happily received.
 
Also I just now found grain mites in my feed storage container. Getting a new bag and cleaning the container and their feeder now, and I think I’m going to move the storage container inside. I know grain mites can cause problems, but would it happen that fast? Maybe he was just thin when I got him cuz he’s a young man, and the grain mites are causing digestive upset. Crossing my fingers, but any other advice will be happily received.
It could be it, im thinkig it could be more so because hes letting the girls eat before him. (by the way, my chickens are 100% fine inside, im not sure if yours would be, you can take him in to feed him, but i dont know if hed eat right away in a different inviroment)
 
No no, i just mean seperate him during eating time so he can eat properly.
Oh ok I got it. I usually feed them in the morning and it stays available to them all day—should I be doing meal feeding like I do with my dog instead? I don’t get home until after dark during the winter but I could find a way, if it’s better for them to not have their food out all day. Then I could separate him easily.
 
It could be it, im thinkig it could be more so because hes letting the girls eat before him. (by the way, my chickens are 100% fine inside, im not sure if yours would be, you can take him in to feed him, but i dont know if hed eat right away in a different inviroment)
Yeah I think I’m going to bring him inside at least to eat. They come in to hang out sometimes but for the most part they’re in their pen or roaming the yard. And Danny will definitely eat sitting next to me! I just didn’t even think of it. lol
 

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