Chicken Seems Like He Doesn't Feel Well

[chelmer640]

Hello, I have pet chickens and one of my oldest beloved roosters has been sleeping on his stomach with his tail feathers up in the air, and trying to hide his head in the corner of his coup. His tummy or breast seems to be damp and he has worn his feathers away there. He eats well, and he is 8 years old, so he has slowed down some. Last year he had pnemonia and was treated for it, but any thoughts on why he is doing this?? I am afraid he may be ill again.........

 

[M To The Maxx]

Nevermind.

 

[threehorses]

You'll find this thread continued at https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=221821

 

[M To The Maxx]

A lot of chickens do sleep on their stomach if they do not have a roost. Do you have a roost for them.

 

[chelmer640]

Hello, thanks for answering. Yes he has a large 2x4 roost that he used to perch on until this behavior started. Now he seems like he's trying scrunch down as far into the corner as possible, and plus the damp breast is strange. I thought maybe his breast hurts or something from his bout with pnemonia. It just seems odd, but like I said he's gotten a bit peculiar since he's gotten older............

 

[threehorses]

I don't know about your old man, but mine started doing that whenever he became arthritic and had a harder time jumping up. I never noticed it - I just noticed he suddenly was 'roosting' on the ground at about the same age. They pick a corner so that they are more 'safe' (though they aren't). Likely the breast behavior started because of the bedding, not the roosting. But if he's a heavy bird (and less in shape than in his younger studly days) the reverse might be true; some birds will develop bruising and pain because of roosting.

I'd suspect however that this is more about his age.

Have you tried offering him the same roost in the same area but lower? say 18" off the ground? When I did that, my rooster choose to roost on the slightly higher area rather than the ground. However, because he already was set in his habit, it took a few nights of sneaking out to the barn and putting him on the new roost (in our case a garden cart with a wire bottom) so that he'd wake up over and over on the new roost. He eventually picked it up again as that was where he had been roosting (only lower) and his ladies were there.

I'd try this. It won't hurt, certainly might help the old master of the barnyard to roost in a safer place.