Dopey acting rooster

[Alycia]

My little year old bantam Phoenix rooster is acting very dopey lately. He is kind of sluggish, his head is sunk down and his neck like he is cold but it's 70 degress out everyday almost now. He extends his neck to eat and he does drink and scratch a little. His tail droops unnaturally and his wings do on either side of him, too. I just don't understand what is wrong. We seperated him from the rest of flock for now. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Alycia]

*buumppp*

 

[janinepeters]

My rooster is behaving similarly, though perhaps not quite as bad. He is sluggish, rarely crows, but wings and tail do not droop. No diarrhea and no respiratory symptoms. Is the same true for yours? Are any others sick?

I didn't get much of a response when I posted about my rooster a few days ago.. Maybe these symptoms are too nonspecific to ring a bell with anyone. I am planning to take a poop sample to the vet to check for parasites, and other than that, I can't think of anything else to look for. For now just make sure he keeps drinking. In my experience they can recover from many maladies as long as they stay hydrated, but dehydration can come quickly in such a small animal with a high respiratory rate.

 

[Alycia]

Thanks for your response. Today it is more promising, I think. I took his temperature and it was severely low for a chicken. I placed him under a heating lamp for two hours and he perked right up and is doing great right now and shaking his head a lot, I think because he did get attacked by another rooster and got a cut by his earlobe.

I hope your birdie will be ok! I have no idea what could be plaguing your bird, and what would make his temperature drop.

 

[seminolewind]

First thing I would do is treat for coccidiosis. That's usually the problem.

 

[Alycia]

He was the only one acting that way and I attribute it now more to him being attacked like he was, now that I back track what happened.