Cape and Saddle Feathers Look Frizzled

[yolkoroo]

I have a Black Copper Marans Rooster whose cape and tail (feathers on back in front of tail) feathers look frizzled, almost more like long matter fur than feathers, and the neck skin is bright red. I will make my best effort to post a picture. The 9 hens all look really good, no sense that there is a coop-wide issue. So I have some questions:

1) Should I give antibiotics; 2) I can separate the rooster in the run during the day and then let him out in the evening so that the hens are not exposed to the antibiotics, sparring the eggs- Is this advisable?; and, 3) if I separate the rooster and he can still see the hens (I have a dog play pen that I can use to section off a good sized area in my fairly large run) would this be a problem for a rooster?

He has started to get a little agressive (in the last week) maybe in coincidence with the poor look of his feathers. He is not normally a petting rooster, but generally would just keep his distance from me and would take treats from my hand when offered (as long as the hens were otherwise occupied with their own treats).

 

[rbaker0345]

I know that ducks can get something called Angelwing, and its from too much protein, I am not sure if chickens can get it, but it looks something like that. I'm also thinking that it could be some weird kind of mite/mange or fungal infection. It could even be something that one of the other chickens is doing to him.

 

[yolkoroo]

Thank you. I will look into the Angelwing, and the protein content of the flock block that I placed in the coop for entertainment during recent poor weather conditions. I am not as familiar with rooster care so maybe the feed (being for laying hens) is suspect. I don't think it is a mite, as I don't see any evidence of it coop-wide; however, I will keep my options open right now. Again, thanks for the input I will start researching the food-based evidence.

 

[yolkoroo]

I don't think it is the food...I can't find any evidence that the layer feed (Blue Seal Organic Layer) should be a concern. I need to figure out how to know if it is fungal infection, and what to do about that...if in fact it is????

 

[SD Bird Lady]

almost looks like a dog had him by the head. Are the feathers sticky like there is something on them or just "destroyed"?

 

[yolkoroo]

No the feathers are dry, as far as I can tell. He is not keen on having me mess with him either though. I won't treat until I am not the only one here at the house because of that. I just am trying to figure out what I should do when I can treat him. ...Feathers just look destroyed...fluffed up and matted slightly (a lot like the frizzle silkie, but they are usually smoothe, shiny and beautiful)... He is a big roo compared to other chickens, so I don't think anyone has been messing with him.

No contact with dogs or other animals very likely, as the weather has been bad and have kept them in the predator-proff run (20X20 feet)- that's why I thought flock block, but they've had a flock block before, and I can't find any reason that this is a problem

 

[yolkoroo]

Still unsure what I should do???? Antibiotics? (I read somewhere antibiotics are NOT recommended for fungal infections). Or Red Cote/Blue Cote..I don't know really.

 

[yolkoroo]

Can anyone help with this issue...I really want to help my only rooster, but I just don't know what I have here.

 

[rbaker0345]

I would try separating him to see if its something that one of your hens is doing to him.

 

[yolkoroo]

So his feathers are missing and frizzled, his skin is bright red and one of his legs looks terribly red as well. The affected leg is a leg that has never worked quite right- I always thought this was a neurological deficit of some sort, but it never hindered him. He does not roost up, he sleeps in a nesting box due to the leg issue, and always has done this. I brought him in, gave him a bath, doctored his skin and legs with petroleum (just in case it would have been some sort of mite- but I doubt it since it is only affecting one leg) and he has water with electrolytes and food in a dog crate where he is resting. Wondering how to know if I should give antibiotics?