Cockerel walking drunk and laying down more than normal, please advise

Cassie29

Chirping
Mar 27, 2017
38
29
64
Michigan
My Coop
My Coop
I have a roughly eight week old black copper Marans cockerel who is suddenly acting like he can’t walk in a straight line he’s stumbling and laying down. He is in with three other same aged chicks who are showing no signs like this. His poop seems normal but he is lethargic and continues to fall asleep even as I brought him upstairs to check him out, I’ve never seen this before so please give me some advice he still stands in Pecks at things when I have him moving around But as soon as I leave him be for a minute he seems just to fall sleep.
 
image.jpg
 
It could be dehydration or possible coccidiosis at this age. I would try to get him drinking water with some electrolytes right away, and hold it up to his beak. Vitamin deficiency could be another possibility, and also you might look up Mareks disease. Many vitamin with electrolyte tonics and powders for water are found at feed stores. Riboflavin is an important ingredient to look for.

Coccidiosis signs are runny poops (sometimes with mucus or blood,) lethargy, weakness, standing puffed up or hunched, and poor appetite. Corid (amprollium) from a feed store is used to treat it, and it will not harm your chickens to treat them, even if that is not the problem.

Mareks symptoms may start at this age or older, and can include weakness in one or both legs or wings, imbalance, and other symptoms in each case.
 
Thank you, so far I have given him some water with probiotics and electrolytes in it, he drank a lot so hopefully that helps! The breeder I got him from said that she vaccinated for mareks normally so I really hope it is not that, I’ve experienced coccidioses before and have corrid on hand but it’s not seeming like that’s it his stools seem pretty solid and when he’s awake he is lively enough, he just can’t seem to keep his feet under him!
 
It could be dehydration or possible coccidiosis at this age. I would try to get him drinking water with some electrolytes right away, and hold it up to his beak. Vitamin deficiency could be another possibility, and also you might look up Mareks disease. Many vitamin with electrolyte tonics and powders for water are found at feed stores. Riboflavin is an important ingredient to look for.

Coccidiosis signs are runny poops (sometimes with mucus or blood,) lethargy, weakness, standing puffed up or hunched, and poor appetite. Corid (amprollium) from a feed store is used to treat it, and it will not harm your chickens to treat them, even if that is not the problem.

Mareks symptoms may start at this age or older, and can include weakness in one or both legs or wings, imbalance, and other symptoms in each case.
If I treat him with corid can I also give him vitamins? I thought that corid was a vitamin inhibitors? Would it still work? As I’ve been watching him he has has a few runny movements not regularly but here and there so I want to try it.
 
I would go ahead and treat with Corid. Give 1.5 tsp of the powder, or 2 tsp of the liquid per gallon of water for 5-7 days. Then go to a vitamin store, and get some riboflavin (B2 tablets, and give 1/2 per day crushed in his food.) Corid is a problem with thiamine (B1, ) so it is not a problem with other vitamins. Riboflavin is important in foot/leg health. After completion of Corid, restart a multivitamin.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom