My rooster Chook-Chook is no longer doing the rooster thing.
He seems to have trouble defecating and no longer crows or chases his harem. He makes strange strangling noises while trying to defecate. Sometimes nothing comes out, sometimes a little, sometimes more than a little but never a normal.
This has been going on from about the time that his chicks hatched. That would make it about 8 weeks.
Prior to the chicks hatching, the 3 hens and 1 rooster were eating layer mash and foraging on the half acre property. I give a seed and grain mix as a treat. Since the chicks were born I have been making my own mash by grinding corn, wheat, oats, barley and black sunflower seeds. I have been making it so that the sunflower seeds sit at about 30-40%. There is also oyster grit available to the hens.
The chickens have decimated my Silverbeet plants (which for you Americans is a type of chard) and also eat a lot of kale. The chickens also get a lot of worms, bugs, slaters (woodlice) and earwigs.
Until the chicks arrived I was keeping them all in the chicken run until the eggs were laid and then letting them free-range. I usually let them out around midday.
I'm not sure what other information is needed here. I live in New Zealand so access to medications and treatments and other stuff may be either difficult or not possible.
Any help of advice would be greatly appreciated.
He seems to have trouble defecating and no longer crows or chases his harem. He makes strange strangling noises while trying to defecate. Sometimes nothing comes out, sometimes a little, sometimes more than a little but never a normal.
This has been going on from about the time that his chicks hatched. That would make it about 8 weeks.
Prior to the chicks hatching, the 3 hens and 1 rooster were eating layer mash and foraging on the half acre property. I give a seed and grain mix as a treat. Since the chicks were born I have been making my own mash by grinding corn, wheat, oats, barley and black sunflower seeds. I have been making it so that the sunflower seeds sit at about 30-40%. There is also oyster grit available to the hens.
The chickens have decimated my Silverbeet plants (which for you Americans is a type of chard) and also eat a lot of kale. The chickens also get a lot of worms, bugs, slaters (woodlice) and earwigs.
Until the chicks arrived I was keeping them all in the chicken run until the eggs were laid and then letting them free-range. I usually let them out around midday.
I'm not sure what other information is needed here. I live in New Zealand so access to medications and treatments and other stuff may be either difficult or not possible.
Any help of advice would be greatly appreciated.
