Cockerel lethargic and throwing up

[MontanaDolphin]

Yesterday early afternoon one of my cockerels was acting fine (he is a 16 week old barred rock). Last night when I went to lock everyone up for the night, he wasn't in the coop with his flock (his brother and sister and my pair of chocolate orpington bantams). I searched for him and found him standing beside a tree just staring. He and his siblings do NOT like to be touched, and take off if you attempt to. I approached him and he just stood still. He allowed me to pick him up without a struggle.

I checked him over, searching under his feathers for any sign of injury. Nothing. No blood, no puncture wounds. I felt his crop, and it was empty except for some liquid and a bit of grit. I put him up on the roost, hoping he'd be better in the morning...I figured my head rooster must have taught him a lesson a scared the crap out of him because the young roo has a habit of mounting head roo's hens when his back is turned.

This morning he was a little more perky, but still "off". He would hover around the water dish constantly, every time I went to check on him that's where he'd be. Early this afternoon I went to pick him up and he struggled, and threw up...like he just took a drink of water and I scared him so he spit it out. Crop was the same...not full. I tried feeding him bugs, worms, scrambled eggs...he won't touch it.

Just a minute ago, my mom picked him up because he actually ventured out of the coop. He threw up on her.

Any ideas to what's going on?

 

[gander007]

Alright you need to get some liquids into him and this is what I use ....





I got it at a medical supply store and if you have something
like this make sure it sticks out of the beak at least 4 inches
incase the tube comes away and the chicken try's to swallow
it so if you can secure the tube to the syringe .....

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Alright you need to get some liquids into him and this is what I use ....





I got it at a medical supply store and if you have something
like this make sure it sticks out of the beak at least 4 inches
incase the tube comes away and the chicken try's to swallow
it so if you can secure the tube to the syringe .....

But he's drinking? In fact, he's drinking a LOT...and only throws up if he gets picked up?

 

[gander007]

Quote:
is there any order coming from his beak ??

 

[MontanaDolphin]

is there any order coming from his beak ??

Not that I can tell. (and yes I know you meant odor)

EDITED TO ADD:

Just came back from feeding everyone. Found the cockerel dead on the floor of the coop. Opened his crop first, liquid with a couple of pieces of grain, it smelled like partially digested food (bile). Opened up his abdomen, had blood clots in there and something that looked like it had ruptured, but I don't know what. My guess is he died of internal bleeding from "blunt force trauma", perhaps the head rooster (who is a BIG guy) kicking him with both feet??? I don't know what else could have caused internal bleeding.

 

[gander007]

Quote:

Wow so sorry about the loss but it sounds like he was hit hard ....

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Wow so sorry about the loss but it sounds like he was hit hard ....

Well the head roo is a massive Easter Egger, and the cockerel was half his size...still scrawny at 16 weeks old. His brother who atm is still alive, won't be if he keeps going after Kokopelli's hens...which he's been doing. Haven't seen Kokopelli drop kick him yet, but he's pecked the crap out of him a few times. Hope the cockerel makes it until this weekend...he's gonna be dinner since I can't seem to find him a home.

 

[gander007]

Quote:

Well if he can do that kind of stomping you might be wise to invite him in for dinner ...

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Well if he can do that kind of stomping you might be wise to invite him in for dinner ...

No way!! He's not aggressive in any way towards humans, in fact he runs from us. But he is one heck of a protector. I'd like to see a hawk TRY to mess with the flock...it would end up being Kokopelli's dinner!