What with one thing and another I only managed to hatch half a dozen sussex eggs this year, and two of the three resulting cockerels ended up in the stewpot for poor type. The remaining one, Paulie, is really what I'm looking for in body style (deep, wide, good size), BUT has had really watery diarrhea for months now.
He is (edited for brain-fart correction) 2.5 months old now, and I couldn't tell you exactly when this started but it was months ago and was not associated with any other obvious ill health. He still looks FINE, very active, growing well, bright comb, no mites, crowing a little bit, etc. (edited to add: comb may be a bit small/pale for age?) Except, he spends an awful lot of time drinking water and then essentially pooing it right back out. Poo color is same as other chickens', just accompanied by lots and lots of water.
I have not tried worming him yet. But otherwise, I am not sure what to make of this. It could be an intestinal infection, although his sister and broody-mom (who he was penned with til I isolated him a couple weeks ago) have completely normal poo.
Adding ACV to water made no obvious difference; switching to a lower-protein feed *may* firm his stools up *some* but still not very close to normal.
My dilemma is that based on body type I would like to keep him to breed from next year, but if he has a bacterial infection or any sort of constitutive problem, then I do *not* want his germs or genes passed on. And unfortunately I do not have the luxury of similar-but-wholly-healthy other cockerels to choose from.
Any suggestions what it could be or what to try, other than I *will* worm him sometime in the next week (when I paste the horses with ivermectin)?
And, any opinions on whether you'd keep or cull him, and if cull, would you be comfortable eating a bird with an unknown intestinal problem?
Thanks for any suggestions or info,
Pat
He is (edited for brain-fart correction) 2.5 months old now, and I couldn't tell you exactly when this started but it was months ago and was not associated with any other obvious ill health. He still looks FINE, very active, growing well, bright comb, no mites, crowing a little bit, etc. (edited to add: comb may be a bit small/pale for age?) Except, he spends an awful lot of time drinking water and then essentially pooing it right back out. Poo color is same as other chickens', just accompanied by lots and lots of water.
I have not tried worming him yet. But otherwise, I am not sure what to make of this. It could be an intestinal infection, although his sister and broody-mom (who he was penned with til I isolated him a couple weeks ago) have completely normal poo.
Adding ACV to water made no obvious difference; switching to a lower-protein feed *may* firm his stools up *some* but still not very close to normal.
My dilemma is that based on body type I would like to keep him to breed from next year, but if he has a bacterial infection or any sort of constitutive problem, then I do *not* want his germs or genes passed on. And unfortunately I do not have the luxury of similar-but-wholly-healthy other cockerels to choose from.
Any suggestions what it could be or what to try, other than I *will* worm him sometime in the next week (when I paste the horses with ivermectin)?
And, any opinions on whether you'd keep or cull him, and if cull, would you be comfortable eating a bird with an unknown intestinal problem?
Thanks for any suggestions or info,
Pat
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