Have NO IDEA what's wrong!!

[GrammiChelle]

This is Razzle, my favorite Langshan roo, about 13 weeks old. Yesterday he was fine, eating out of my hand. He's always been the first one out of the coop, the first one to check things out. Today, my daughter let the flock out a little bit earlier than I usually do, and she didn't notice anything wrong, but about 5 pm I went to visit my flock. I do this most evenings and usually visit with them, doing some Hand feeding with treats and just generally checking on everyone. I have 6 RIR pullets and 6 Langshans, 2 Roos and 4 pullets. I also have some free range birds, American Game Fowl, 1 rooster, 4 hens and 5 chicks, that were abandoned on the property but I feed than and make sure they have water. I'm trying to figure out a spot in the yard that would be good to put some diatomaceous earth for them to dust bath in.
BUT... The reason I'm writing this is I'm REALLY worried about Razzle and hoping I don't wake up tomorrow to find him mysteriously dead. He seemed okay today in most ways. But he refused to come out of the coop with everyone else and he stayed in a back corner where I couldn't really get to him. I tried offering treats but he wouldn't eat. He usually eats very well out of my hand and for a long time, was the only one of my Langshans that would eat from my hand. He was doing some open mouth breathing, but it was very hot and some of the others were doing some of that too. He seemed in general to be a little bit pitiful, but it couldn't see anything really wrong with him, except that he would just stand there. When I tried to pick him up., he did move far enough into the corner that I couldn't reach him anymore, but he could walk just fine. He would lie down occasionally, but mostly he just stood there, in basically one area. I couldn't hear any wheezing or see signs of respiratory distress. He just looked pitiful, without his usual spunk and vitality.
I may wake up to find him just fine, or he may be dead. I know he has access to food and water and there's not much else I know to do. Does anyone have any idea what might be wrong? Should I separate him from the flock?

 

[MrsBachbach]

Yes, I would seperate him, maybe a cage near the flock so he doesn't lose his flock position. He may be suffering from coccidiosis. I would start him on some corid, or just treat the whole flock. Although, I would use an eyedropper and just put a few drops of the stuff directly in his beak asap since he is inactive.

One other question. Do you have other roosters in your flock? Could he and another have had a pecking order fight? He could be avoiding the flock for that reason. But I would still start the Corid just in case. It won't hurt them. Also, no need to seperate him if you treat them all.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, I would seperate him, maybe a cage near the flock so he doesn't lose his flock position. He may be suffering from coccidiosis. I would start him on some corid, or just treat the whole flock. Although, I would use an eyedropper and just put a few drops of the stuff directly in his beak asap since he is inactive.

One other question. Do you have other roosters in your flock? Could he and another have had a pecking order fight? He could be avoiding the flock for that reason. But I would still start the Corid just in case. It won't hurt them. Also, no need to seperate him if you treat them all.

Good advice. Grab him off the roost at night (but get the Corid ready today.) By caging him you can feel of his crop, examine him for lice and mites, look at his poops, and watch how much he is eating. I f he is not drinking, you may need to feed him some Corid with a dropper. Dosage is 2 tsp of liquid per gallon of water.

 

[seminolewind]

Corid sounds like a good idea. Twice my big roo has done something similar. Both times another roo got into the yard with him, and he ended up in some hot corner or hiding place all day hot and afraid to come out for water or food til I found him and put the other roo back where he should be. Just thought I'd throw that in there.

 

[casportpony]

Can you post a picture of his poop?

-Kathy

 

[GrammiChelle]

He is just fine today, walking around eating out of my hand, sitting in my lap and talking to me. I'm going to stock up on some Corid just in case I see any signs of coccidiosis in any of the birds. There's no sign of any poop issues with any of the flock right now.
I'm suspicious that maybe it was a rooster issue. I don't see any signs of problems with his brother rooster, raised with him, but I do have some free range chickens that were abandoned on the property we rent. The rooster of this group is an American Game Fowl and he might just have scared poor Razzle.

This is Bruno, the possible culprit to the problem. I didn't see any sign of Razzle being scared of him today, nor have I ever seen any sign that Bruno would attack one of my little boys, but who knows.
My daughter says I am over thinking it all because they're just chickens, but I want to be able to take care of them properly and learn to see signs of health issues. I know in birds things can happen fast.
Thanks for all the help and suggestions. I have learned a lot from everyone's comments and I appreciate them so much!!

 

[casportpony]

Handsome boy, glad he is better!

-Kathy

 

[MrsBachbach]

Yep, I'm betting he got put in his place by the older rooster.

 

[GrammiChelle]

I am thinking that must be what happened. I think the free range chickens had run out of water, and I did see one of the Game hens go into the run for water. It's possible Bruno , the big Fame rooster, went into the run to get water and just scared poor little Razzle.
I am trying to find a new home for the Game Fowl. They were abandoned on the property by the people we rent from. They were part of his cockfighting, rooster raising enterprise. At one time, he had about 80 roosters on the property. These are beautiful birds, but I don't want to keep them here and continue to breed them, because in this area, the roosters might be stolen to use for cockfighting again, and I can't bear the thought of that. They are not tame at all and I can't get very close to any of them. Although I do give them food and water, and it was able to trap one of the hens with her chicks in a cage by giving them food right after they hatched, and kept them safe from predators until the chicks were old enough to roost in the trees at night.
If anyone has any idea how I might find someone to help me re home these birds, to somewhere a little bit farther away from Mexico,( I live about 3 miles away as the crow flies, about 20 miles from the nearest legal border). They are beautiful birds, but I'd be afraid to list them on Craig's List or anything like that for fear of who might come and get them.

Here are some more pics of the Game Fowl. I think they are American Game Fowl. That's what I was told when I put pics on one of the breed forums. U

 

[seminolewind]

Glad you figured out what was wrong.