Dying rooster - How to care for him in his last moments...?

[Papaye]

Hello.

One of my Brahma rooster - my favorite, named Apache le Colosse - is dying.
(He is only around one-year-old.)

For some weeks now, he has been getting more and more paralyzed...

By elimination, and after all the care he had, there are only 3 causes possible :
1 - an injury in his back,
2 - an injury in his head,
3 - (the aftermath) of a stroke.

I was previously persuaded it was certainly an injury in his back for two reasons : not only did he NOT fight with Rocky, my other rooster - so no risk to be injured in his head -; but he also had been getting better for the last days...
So, an injury in his back was logical to me...

Nevertheless, I understand now he was not actually healing these last days : indeed, it was actually, clearly, only the famous "energy boost" before death.

Since, this morning, Apache was finally in his worst condition ever!
Poor boy is clearly dying, since he has even been emptying his bowels...
(And I know this smell : it is Death.)

(So, Apache is very probably suffering from the aftermath of a stroke...)

...What do I know now?
He can't move anymore...

Here is how he is for now :

And :

He actually looks BETTER than ever if we only look at his face, since he is redder - normalish red - than these last weeks.
Indeed : yesterday, his comb was purple - what I now know being from frostbite -; today, his comb is a healthy red...
(...Why is Apache's purple-frobisted comb be so red now, just before his death?!)
Given he can not move anymore, he can obviously not eat or drink anymore... He actually do not want to eat OR drink...

...What can I do for him...?

I really can NOT put him down : not only have I a terrible phobia of corpses, but even if it was not a problem for me... I NEVER put down an animal. I don't know HOW to do that, so I'm too much afraid I would miss and, ultimately, cause severe pain to Apache...

...I am not hand-feeding him for now, because he could be suffering... and I feel prolonging the inevitable, if it IS possible, would be cruel if he really is in pain - especially since it's winter, and the cold would then aggravate his pain...

But what do YOU think I should do?
What would YOU do...?

He is dying.
He can't be saved anymore...

How to care for him in his last momemts, so he could at least die as comfortably as possible?
Do I put him in his coop, so he can stay warm...?
Do I let him outside, so he can see his friends...?
Do I force him to drink water at least...?
...?

 

[JustAnotherWeirdo]

i think the vet might be able to put him down like they normally do with cats and dogs and that might be the quickest and least painful way for him to die. But if that’s not possible or you can’t get an appointment with the vet soon enough you could try to give him some water and rather leave him in the coop because the other chickens could peck and hurt him. This is terrible to hear but I’m certain he enjoyed his life at least.

 

[BobStuart]

That is terrible .
My old dog had a concussion after being bit in the head. He was having seizures and was howling all day. My dad took him to the vet put him down without allowing me to say goodbye. The one thing I hate about vets.

 

[BobStuart]

Just spend as long as you can with him and enjoy what could be your last moment together.

 

[BobStuart]

Just watch him. Don’t cull him yet. Keep watching him. If he isn’t doing better by tomorrow then you can cull.

 

[Fran123]

Could you be dealing with Marek’s? If the bird is suffering and is showing no sign of improvement I would recommend humane euthanasia by a vet. Sorry looks like a handsome boy

 

[tripletfeb]

If you absolutely cannot put him down yourself, call a vet to see if they can euthanize him for you. I have never heard of a vet who won't, the issue would be getting an appt in time. If that is not an option, then I would put him in a box with bedding and just let him die in there. Any other chickens will peck him and pick on him. Do not feed him water or food, he could aspirate and that would make this whole thing worse. By the looks of him, he is not aware of his surroundings. To be fair to your other chickens, you really should look up how to dispatch a chicken quickly. Letting them die this way is cruel

 

[GreenJay]

 

[The Welch Chickens]

I'm so sorry about Apache.

 

[Papaye]

But if that’s not possible or you can’t get an appointment with the vet soon enough you could try to give him some water and rather leave him in the coop because the other chickens could peck and hurt him.

Vet is sadly not possible...
The only ones I trust are too much far away, and I am kind of scared to move Apache to their clinic : roads are really bad here, so I woud be afraid the ride alone would kill him (in his condition).

He is confined in a very small closed run for now :

I hade made it very quickly not long ago with some metal panels I had laying aside, and...
...I first put Apache in there to keep him from moving too much - in case his condition would be caused by an injury in the back...

But since his walking problems stabilized eventually... I took him outside these last few days (in order to allow him some physical contacts with his friends), but only when the weather was dry : given he is now always sitting on his legs, I did not want him to be bothered and/or get sick because of the climate... you know?

But this morning, when I put him outside of his run... he was already emptying his bowels, and the others chickens began to assault him...!! (Even the other rooster, in spite of the fact they are BROS and have always been!)
(To me, clear signs that he was dying.)

For now, he is so paralized he can't get to the water... so I just gave him a mix of wet cat food and wet dog food to get him to eat - since he likes this kind of food...
(Wet cat and dog foods have water in, so I am hoping here the mix can get him hydrated enough to at least let him die without being thirsty.)

...Nevertheless - I don't know if it is because of the sunlight and the fact the weather is warmer now than this morning, but : Apache can move a bit better for now.
Indeed, he can "sit" again at least, and he is eating whereas he did not want to earlier!

(But since he still smells like Death... poor boy is clearly still dying...!)

My old dog had a concussion after being bit in the head. He was having seizures and was howling all day. My dad took him to the vet put him down without allowing me to say goodbye. The one thing I hate about vets.

...Sorry for you and your dog...!!
But what happened to him, exactly? Was somebody hitting him...?
Poor dog...

Yeah, some vets don't take their job seriously...

I had some problems with the vets nearest of my area, in the past...
...These people were seriously more butchers than vets, and so, I just don't want to go to their clinic anymore...

But my dog and cats' actual vets are very good, thanksfully!
Nevertheless, the ride is too long for now, and not only because road are very bad or my rooster could die at any moment now : it just snowed, making the roads so much more dangerous...!

Just spend as long as you can with him and enjoy what could be your last moment together.

I actually don't know if it is a good idea...

This morning, Apache seemed to be afraid of me. Not anymore, but he was so weird - he is my most affectionate chicken, so it was the first time ever he did not want me near him...!
He never was a fearful boy : even the day I bought him, he was not as afraid as he was this morning...
So, even if he calmed himself, I prefer to leave him alone as much as possible for now : I just think it is better for him.
(But I watch him from time to time, so I can help him if needed...)

He can see his friends, so he at least is not totally alone!

Just watch him. Don’t cull him yet. Keep watching him. If he isn’t doing better by tomorrow then you can cull.

I am so not culling him...
What if I am stupid and hurt him so much by trying to cull him his last moments will be in intolerable pain... because of me?
He does not deserve to be in more pain just because I would not know what I am doing if I decide to try putting him down...
(I never put down any animal!!)

But for now, he is doing better.
He IS still dying, but at least, he is - and clearly FEELS - better... I am hoping he is not in (too much) pain, at least!

Could you be dealing with Marek’s?

Sadly, no.
We already eliminated this possibily...
(No Marek, no vitamins deficiency either, no mites or lices, no worms, etc...)

We were several to think it looked like an injury in the back, since his problem was first located hips-level...
But now that he is weakening throughout his boby... only an injury in the head or a stroke would make sense.
More so a stroke, since having never fight with my other rooster, an injury in the head would be disbelieving...

Actually, he would have been lucky to have Marek, since there would be means to at least relieve him...!

Honestly, I think my Apache just was destined to die from day one : he clearly was the weakest of the hatchings...!
Since I had brought him home last year, he constantly had problems... and now, that?
Poor boy was born unlucky or something... Before him, I never had any serious health problems with my chickens - but him, he just was (and is) WEAK...

Do not feed him water or food, he could aspirate and that would make this whole thing worse.

Oups... too late...

He is getting better. Still dying, sadly; but he is sitting again now... (I think sunlight is doing good to him for now...)

So, I put him near his feeder, and I finally decided to give him a mix of wet cat food and wet dog food to eat if he ever could...
And he has eaten!
He did not want to this morning, but he has just now!

Here :

I did give wet cat and dog food to Apache, because it contains water, and I want him to at least die without being thirsty - since he does not want to drink the water.

But did I do something stupid...?

By the looks of him, he is not aware of his surroundings.

He is. For now...

But he seemend to hallucinate or something in the morning, since he was terribly afraid of me... and I don't know WHY : he is my most affectionate bird. In fact, he is a DOG...!
...Can chickens hallucinate...?

To be fair to your other chickens, you really should look up how to dispatch a chicken quickly. Letting them die this way is cruel

By "dispatch a chicken", do you mean "putting a chicken down"?

I did look up some videos in the past - just in case I had to in the future... So I actually would know how to do that, but ONLY in theory!
But since I never did in real life... I can't.
I just can not pretend I really would know how to do that... If I miss or something, I'm pretty sure it would actually more cruel than letting him die alone...!

...I have a neighbour who could cull my rooster for me, but people around me tell me to NEVER let him do it, because : "he is a butcher" and "he likes to make animals suffer".

For now, I am watching Apache.
He is better than this morning, but I have no illusions : since he already has emptied his bowels, I know it is too late to save him.