1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Dominique cockerel, 7mo, healthy weight (last week at the fair he won best of breed, best of class, and best large fowl! he's my keeper!!)
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
I found him this evening roosted on a stack of pallets with his head dropping off and down, and he was struggling to keep his eyes open. His neck is completely limp. He can (kind of) get his legs under him to scoot backwards or push his tail up, but it's like his head is made of lead and can't lift it. He's doing a pecking/chattering against the bottom of his isolation crate.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
<24hr
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
His comb and waddle have some wounds. After being reintroduced to the flock after a week at the fair, he got beat up by the roosters I haven't yet culled. I thought that subsided. He was reintroduced 9 days ago. He doesn't appear to have lost weight.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I think either the comb/waddle wounds may have become infected (though they seemed superficial, and I don't see anything to indicate infection), or he's mentally broken down.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
They always have fresh water and Purina Layena, although I don't know if other cockerels are blocking some birds access. In isolation I gave him 1tsp of cider vinegar in a bowl of water (and held his head to help him drink), a bowl of 30% game bird starter crumbles mixed with the Purina pellets, and a bowl of wet bread.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
I've not yet seen a movement.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Isolated to a crate and covered in a blanket; cider vinegar water; wet bread; started spraying comb/waddle with Banixx.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I want to save him. He's my breeder, so I'm willing to pay more than is probably logical.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Freerange by day. Barn by night. Bedding is 60% straw, 39% alphalfa, 1% or less shredded paper. They have various places to roost, this one chose a pile of pallets about 3ft tall.
Thank you all in advance for your help! I'll keep digging, too!
-Len
Dominique cockerel, 7mo, healthy weight (last week at the fair he won best of breed, best of class, and best large fowl! he's my keeper!!)
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
I found him this evening roosted on a stack of pallets with his head dropping off and down, and he was struggling to keep his eyes open. His neck is completely limp. He can (kind of) get his legs under him to scoot backwards or push his tail up, but it's like his head is made of lead and can't lift it. He's doing a pecking/chattering against the bottom of his isolation crate.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
<24hr
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
His comb and waddle have some wounds. After being reintroduced to the flock after a week at the fair, he got beat up by the roosters I haven't yet culled. I thought that subsided. He was reintroduced 9 days ago. He doesn't appear to have lost weight.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I think either the comb/waddle wounds may have become infected (though they seemed superficial, and I don't see anything to indicate infection), or he's mentally broken down.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
They always have fresh water and Purina Layena, although I don't know if other cockerels are blocking some birds access. In isolation I gave him 1tsp of cider vinegar in a bowl of water (and held his head to help him drink), a bowl of 30% game bird starter crumbles mixed with the Purina pellets, and a bowl of wet bread.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
I've not yet seen a movement.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Isolated to a crate and covered in a blanket; cider vinegar water; wet bread; started spraying comb/waddle with Banixx.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I want to save him. He's my breeder, so I'm willing to pay more than is probably logical.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Freerange by day. Barn by night. Bedding is 60% straw, 39% alphalfa, 1% or less shredded paper. They have various places to roost, this one chose a pile of pallets about 3ft tall.
Thank you all in advance for your help! I'll keep digging, too!
-Len
Good luck
