Foot sore rooster

[Mamamorey]

Hello, I certainly appreciate this forum. Calling a vet is less than satisfying. I have an 18 month old rooster. He has been walking a little stiff legged for about a month, but seemed well otherwise, and had lots of get up and go with the ladies. In the last 2 weeks he has been very mopey, lost his tail feathers and I put it down to molting. However, this last few days he has become very foot sore. I don’t think he has been roosting and I’m wondering if maybe he has frostbite as it’s been bitterly cold here in the Edmonton area. He is eating and drinking, but will not walk on his feet, if he can help it. I did give him ivermectin, just in case it was scaly leg mite. His breathing has been a bit raspy too, but not sure if there’s a connection. Thinking I should put him out of his misery, but if there’s any chance of a cure, he is my personal favourite bird.
Here’s some pictures , he has been missing some claws for a long time and I’ve circled blisters.
Thank you for any help you can offer
Mama Morey

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'd give his feet a good daily soak in epsom salts to see if that helps reduce the swelling.

It does look like he's got some raised scales that may indicate SLM. He's feather footed, so some of it may be due to that as well.
His feet are quite puffy looking. I wonder if he has Gout. I'm going to tag in @dawg53 @Eggcessive and @coach723 too.

You mention he's raspy with his breathing. Is his crop emptying overnight? Look inside her beak for any lesions or canker. Take note of any mucous or bubbles/watery eyes.

Have you changed anything recently - brought in new birds, closed off ventilation, added new bedding, etc. that could be the source of the congestion/raspy sound? He's not roosting, so could it be he's sleeping near a lot of droppings on the floor which could be an irritant to the respiratory system too.

 

[Mamamorey]

I have soaked his feet in epsoms for the past 2 days, I’ll keep on if you think it’ll help. His feet are definitely puffy, with a couple of blisters.
I have recently changed the bedding from hemp to shavings, so that’s a good thought, about his raspyness. I’ll check his crop tomorrow. Thanks for this!

 

[dawg53]

Probably frostbite.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would say that frostbite is some of the problem. The knobby appearance is typical of gout though. Along with mites, there could be a variety of issues. When you soak him, are you bringing him into a warm house in warm water, then drying him well? I would look at his quality of life when considering putting him down. It might be best if he seems to be suffering. Some use sour cherry extract capsules to help with gout.

 

[dawg53]

Since your rooster has been walking stiff legged for a month, I dont believe it's gout. It takes longer for gout to appear, over time. It usually occurs in older birds and your rooster is only 18 months old.
I suspect frostbite. You can wrap old towels around roosts and perches inside the coops. When birds squat down on the roost to sleep, the towel will retain some of the heat to keep their feet warm during colder temps. It'll also deter bumblefoot. He also wont lose anymore toenails due to frostbite.

 

[Mamamorey]

Thanks everyone for your help, it’s given me some things to think about