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

 

[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?

 

[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!

 

[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.

 

[chicken_ladie]

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

Thank you so much for helping out, it means a lot and it’s a relief to know I’m not alone in this.



I am with him in his coop as I am writing, he is in my lap (he loves being held) he fell asleep immediately.

Here he is a few months ago when he was healthy, to him now:

(He blinked in the second one)

He is typically the same red all over, but maybe this slight discoloration is due to the cold? The first picture was taken in February outside. So probably not.

Droppings:

(Will post when I can get one, I was with him for maybe an hour last night. Pooped same amount and times as the hen with him. Average size and texture as he always has.)



He eats the same as the rest of the flock:

Chicken feed (pellets, crushed corn), occasional dried meal worms, occasional bread.

Whenever he has kitchen scraps, they’re not scraps- it’s the good part of the food a person would eat. (Ex. Apple slices, not the core) Yesterday I gave him grains of white rice, would not eat them. Today I gave him cold cooked rice, would not eat it, also wouldn’t eat cold meat. I was able to give him two small pieces of cold fish though.

About the grit, he had some when he was with the large flock. But I don’t think he’s had some for a while now, we typically give them more every month or so. I am not sure we have any, if we do I will give him some.

I felt his crop, I’m not sure how a normal one should feel.

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?



The most recent addition to the flock are chicks that are about a month old. Most are smaller than him and will stay that way but two are normal sized chickens so they are larger than him now.

I never saw anyone bully him, he usually bullied the chicken which is why I didn’t like him with this large flock. There is also a small rooster in there, fully grown but half his size. They used to fight when I would take my rooster out and they could see each other through the fence. But whenever I saw them in this flock together, they didn’t fight at all.



After moving him a few days ago he is alone with one small hen.

He is the only one acting this way.

I also live in the US (IL), none of my birds are molting though.

 

[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.

 

[chicken_ladie]

Thank you so much for helping out, it means a lot and it’s a relief to know I’m not alone in this.



I am with him in his coop as I am writing, he is in my lap (he loves being held) he fell asleep immediately.

Here he is a few months ago when he was healthy, to him now:

(He blinked in the second one)

View attachment 2425934

He is typically the same red all over, but maybe this slight discoloration is due to the cold? The first picture was taken in February outside. So probably not.

Droppings:

(Will post when I can get one, I was with him for maybe an hour last night. Pooped same amount and times as the hen with him. Average size and texture as he always has.)



He eats the same as the rest of the flock:

Chicken feed (pellets, crushed corn), occasional dried meal worms, occasional bread.

Whenever he has kitchen scraps, they’re not scraps- it’s the good part of the food a person would eat. (Ex. Apple slices, not the core) Yesterday I gave him grains of white rice, would not eat them. Today I gave him cold cooked rice, would not eat it, also wouldn’t eat cold meat. I was able to give him two small pieces of cold fish though.

About the grit, he had some when he was with the large flock. But I don’t think he’s had some for a while now, we typically give them more every month or so. I am not sure we have any, if we do I will give him some.

I felt his crop, I’m not sure how a normal one should feel.

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?



The most recent addition to the flock are chicks that are about a month old. Most are smaller than him and will stay that way but two are normal sized chickens so they are larger than him now.

I never saw anyone bully him, he usually bullied the chicken which is why I didn’t like him with this large flock. There is also a small rooster in there, fully grown but half his size. They used to fight when I would take my rooster out and they could see each other through the fence. But whenever I saw them in this flock together, they didn’t fight at all.



After moving him a few days ago he is alone with one small hen.

He is the only one acting this way.

I also live in the US (IL), none of my birds are molting though.

I have added grit to his feed right now, the hen is eating some- he is not. Should I make him eat some?

 

[chicken_ladie]

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.

Thank you, I don’t think it’s sour crop. His crop has always been squishy. I felt it right now, he is still squishy.
I was worried that he might’ve accidentally eaten something that is causing issues with his digestive system? Should I give him tums or something just in case?
I don’t want to go overboard and give him multiple things since I’m feeding him the vitamin mush and adding electrolytes to his water.

 

[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.