Have a very pale bantam rooster that isn't getting better...

[erkme73]

He's so sweet, loves to cuddle. Falls asleep almost immediately when rubbing his comb. But comb went from bright red to very light pink, and he seems lethargic. He's eating and drinking fine.

About two weeks ago we had a neighbor analyze his scat to see if there were any parasites. Nothing obvious, but there were very questionable items which may have been worms (or eggs, I can't recall now). In any case, we opted to inject our entire flock with ivermectin (0.2mg/kg). That was fun.

There has been no improvement in the subsequent two weeks.

Now, around the time that he started to exhibit this lethargy, several of our normal chicks came into season (4 of which are buff Orrington/Domonique roosters). Ever since, they have been bullying the bantam rooster pretty aggressively. The four of them will become dinner soon.

If a rooster's dominance is challenged like that, can that cause them to lose color and become 'depressed'?

We've been keeping both bantam rooster and hen separated for now (inside the house). Anytime we let him outside while the others are foraging, he hangs out by the door. If we open it, he runs inside.

 

[azygous]

A very pale comb can mean his hormone levels are very low. It can also mean he may have cancer tumors with an underling avian virus which can affect hormone levels. It can mean he's anemic from blood sucking coop mites.

When you say, "coming into season", did you mean coming into lay? The "chicks" probably figured out this rooster hasn't the ability to fertilize their eggs, so they are treating him as a lesser being.

 

[erkme73]

I mean they're laying and crowing. He's still fertilizing the other bantam hen (we have only one pair). Infact I have four chicks that just hatched.

Is there a way to adjust hormone levels, verify tumor/cancer or mites?

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you checked his skin under his belly and elsewhere for the presence of mites or lice? Do you have a picture of him? How old is he? Are you in the US where it is springtime?

 

[erkme73]

Yes, in middle-TN. I haven't explicitly looked for mites/lice. Are they obvious to see? Is there harm in treating for it as a precautionary measure? He is less than a year old. I don't have any recent pictures but will take some in a moment.

 

[Eggcessive]

The ivermectin can treat mites or lice. It is usually repeated in 14 days. If you look through this article it shows signs of lice and mites, and what to look for:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[erkme73]

Thanks. Reading it now.

 

[erkme73]

Here's a pic. I just searched him for mites and it all looks clean.

 

[erkme73]

For comparison here is the hen...

 

[azygous]

Here's something I suggest you do to find out if he's actually producing sperm, which is doubtful given the paleness of his comb. Usually robust hormones will cause a nice red comb. This signals to the hens that he can do the job. It may be why he's not respected by the young layers.

To find out if an egg is fertile, break it open into a shallow dish. Take it to a well lighted spot and look for a quarter inch white "bullseye" on the yolk. It will be very faint so look very carefully. If you know what you're looking for, it's not that hard to see. If you can't find one on the first egg, try a couple more. This will let us know if he might have a reproductive disorder. And no, you can't just dial up his hormone level. They either are there or they are not.