HEALTHY LOOKING ROSTER NOT EATING

[chicken_ladie]

My rooster is a 6 year old, black and white booted bantam. He lives with a flock of about 15 smaller chickens.
A few days ago I noticed his face was very pale and yellowish, only him, none of the other chickens.
Two days after that he was moved to a different coop with a heat lamp and one hen (to keep him company).
He returned to a healthy color in a day or two. He has not been eating, I saw him drinking water though.
I was very worried-since he is old- that he’s going to pass soon. But his frill is a healthy red, but his waddle is pink rather than it’s usual cherry red.
He is sleeping a lot, only staying in the same place. During the day he is standing and sleeping on the floor rather than on his roost. But last night I saw him fly to his roost with no problem so he seems to be strong enough to do so.
I have been hand feeding him, he will only eat bread and crackers willingly. My dad gave me bird vitamins that we mixed with a raw egg and I fed that to him- although he did not want to eat it.
I love him a lot, he used to be a house pet but when I entered high school my dad made him live outside, I’m not sure but maybe he is stressed from such a large flock? He’s used to 1-4 hens not 15.
I have been staying with him when I’m not in classes, his droppings were not unusual though.
My family lives right next to the city so there are no chicken vets around, my dad usually treats our birds himself anyways. We’ve never come across this before.
My biggest worry is that he won’t eat and is very inactive but looks physically healthy (no missing feathers, no weight loss), I’m not sure how long he wasn’t eating for before I noticed.

If anyone knows what he may have or if this sounds like he’s just old and ready to go... please let me know he’s been a pet of mine for over six years and I’m very worried for him.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I'm so sorry that he's not acting well. I'm sure you've formed a special bond with him over the years. Please post a picture of him (to show the experts his wattle color) and a picture of his poop. Please list what he eats (feed and treats). Does he have access to grit? Have you checked his crop to make sure it's flat (empty) first thing in the morning before he has any food or water? Have you brought in any new birds? Are any other birds exhibiting any symptoms of illness? Last but certainly not least, is he molting by chance? I'm not sure where you're located but where I live (NC, USA), my birds are molting hard.
Now I'll tag some of those experts that will be able to help. Since it's 1am here, they will probably get the tags and respond after daylight (several hours from now)
@azygous @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @aart

 

[azygous]

We need your location or we would be wasting time giving you information you may not be able to follow up on.

Check his crop. He could have a crop issue that is making him sick.

He could have an infection that would need an antibiotic. That is one reason we need to know where in the world you are.

 

[aart]

Answers to molting and poop Q's would good to know.

I have been hand feeding him, he will only eat bread and crackers willingly. My dad gave me bird vitamins that we mixed with a raw egg and I fed that to him- although he did not want to eat it.

What is his regular feed...brand/model/protein and calcium percentages?
Put the vitamins in the bread, just to get it into him.
Tho bread and crackers are nutritious.
How long has he been living outside...and is that when this started?

Savachick electrolytes/vitamins is what I use first.
Then there's Nutridrench and Poultry Cell.

Welcome to BYC @chicken_ladie Sorry you're having troubles.
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[chicken_ladie]

If hes willing to drink, I would take advantage of that with either some homemade pedialyte or an electrolyte mix. Theres a bunch of products for chickens but I'm not familiar with them. I did 1 qt water, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt, but there are tons of recipes out there that are probably slightly different. You can also scale it down to make less if you want. Just to get some calories in him.

Is his poop still solid or very watery?

Thank you, I was planning on adding electrolytes to his water. I added some poultry specific electrolytes to his water this morning.
I also stuffed the vitamin mush into his bread and he eats it.

About his droppings, he is pooping regularly. They are not too watery or too stiff. Soft play dough is the best I can describe it. It’s not out of the ordinary- as his droppings have always been this consistency.

 

[azygous]

Thanks for the information. It helps us fill in the blanks.

Do you recall anything about what he was doing right before you noticed this downturn in his behavior? What he was eating, or where he was hanging out? Free range, run and coop only?

Chickens need grit continuously. It's how they digest their food. Without it, they can get constipated. Find some grit and offer it to him. If he eats it like a rare treat, it gives us the clue he may be constipated.

Please read this. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/ You will need to understand how crops work and what makes them get sick. You will need to check his crop in the morning before he drinks or eats to verify he has or does not have a crop issue.

 

[azygous]

Your observations definitely point to this rooster having a health issue. It's hard enough trying to diagnose an illness when the rooster is right there in the flesh to examine and observe behavior, and borderline impossible when trying to do it from skimpy descriptions that are secondhand.

I suggest you start covering a few bases. Sometimes treating for one health issue at a time can begin to rule out things. If we rule out enough possible causes of his behaving sickly, perhaps we can eventually arrive at something that will help him.

Since he eats the bread you've offered him, try soaking a piece in two teaspoons of olive oil or coconut oil. If he eats that, it may help lubricate his digestive system to unblock an impacted crop or gizzard.

Pay close attention to his poop. Take photos and post them here, before you give him the oil and afterward so we can see if the oil has dislodged any fibrous material.

There is a chance he has a bacterial infection. It could be internal or from an external wound hidden on his body that has escaped your notice. Check him over thoroughly to see if such a wound is present.

Next, ask around if anyone has an antibiotic prescription they have left over they no longer need. Or you can buy amoxicillin here.

https://www.kvsupply.com/item/aqua-mox-250mg-capsules-100-count/P06184/

It would be a good idea to go ahead and order it if you have no access to an antibiotic.

Check inside his mouth for sores or gummy plaque as that would indicate a disease that could be making him sick.

Six years old is really not "old" for a chicken. I have chickens twice as old as that that are in very good health. Chickens die of disease and infection far more often than "old age".

 

[chicken_ladie]

Thank you, I have checked for external wounds or anything out of the ordinary but have found nothing.
I checked the inside of his mouth and it is normal.
Though he has been sneezing once maybe every 10 minutes.
He has also started breathing with his mouth slightly open:

his nostrils do not have any visible wetness or mucus to them.
He also does not make any noise when doing this so I don’t think his nose is stuffed.

In case this is a digestive issue I have been putting coconut oil on his bread and he’s been eating it.

 

[chicken_ladie]

My rooster is a 6 year old, black and white booted bantam. He lives with a flock of about 15 smaller chickens.
A few days ago I noticed his face was very pale and yellowish, only him, none of the other chickens.
Two days after that he was moved to a different coop with a heat lamp and one hen (to keep him company).
He returned to a healthy color in a day or two. He has not been eating, I saw him drinking water though.
I was very worried-since he is old- that he’s going to pass soon. But his frill is a healthy red, but his waddle is pink rather than it’s usual cherry red.
He is sleeping a lot, only staying in the same place. During the day he is standing and sleeping on the floor rather than on his roost. But last night I saw him fly to his roost with no problem so he seems to be strong enough to do so.
I have been hand feeding him, he will only eat bread and crackers willingly. My dad gave me bird vitamins that we mixed with a raw egg and I fed that to him- although he did not want to eat it.
I love him a lot, he used to be a house pet but when I entered high school my dad made him live outside, I’m not sure but maybe he is stressed from such a large flock? He’s used to 1-4 hens not 15.
I have been staying with him when I’m not in classes, his droppings were not unusual though.
My family lives right next to the city so there are no chicken vets around, my dad usually treats our birds himself anyways. We’ve never come across this before.
My biggest worry is that he won’t eat and is very inactive but looks physically healthy (no missing feathers, no weight loss), I’m not sure how long he wasn’t eating for before I noticed.

If anyone knows what he may have or if this sounds like he’s just old and ready to go... please let me know he’s been a pet of mine for over six years and I’m very worried for him.

Thank you all for your help, I guess it was just his time to go. He passed away tonight when I brought him inside to hand feed him. He wasn’t himself the past week, I’m glad that his suffering ended.
His frill and wattle were very red when he passed- so I didn’t think he was nearing the end.
Thank you for all your help. He had a nice home and people who loved him.

 

[ackie]

If hes willing to drink, I would take advantage of that with either some homemade pedialyte or an electrolyte mix. Theres a bunch of products for chickens but I'm not familiar with them. I did 1 qt water, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt, but there are tons of recipes out there that are probably slightly different. You can also scale it down to make less if you want. Just to get some calories in him.

Is his poop still solid or very watery?