Help! Cockerel with head dance and weight loss

[KahKaDoodleDo22]

Hello,

I have had a new barnevelder cockerel for about 6 weeks now, a couple of weeks ago I noticed him and the 5 hens with him weren’t eating as much as I would have expected. Didn’t think anything of it just moved their food outside for easy access during the day.

Two days ago, i noticed the cockerel moving his head in a figure 8 shape, dance type way. I kind of thought this might be towards the other roosters, but I’m almost positive it’s not. He seems to of lost weight possibly too, feels a little bony when I picked him up tonight.

He also hasn’t been crowing as much or at all. (I have 4 Roos so hard to tell sometimes)

Any ideas of what the heck is going on with him? He’s beautiful and sweet. I’d hate to lose him.

 

[igorsMistress]

Hello. I'm sorry to read you're having this problem. Have you checked for worms/mites/lice? My vet doesn't treat chickens but they'll send for a fecal float test.

Do any others have weight loss too? What does their poop look like?

 

[KahKaDoodleDo22]

Hi poop normal, the other hens with him are healthy. Just him. I didn’t check for worms, but I could deworm him.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds neurological which can be seen in vitamin E deficiency and in some diseases, such as Mareks. Can you take a sort video of his neck movements, and post it on YouTube with a link posted here? If you choose to treat with vitamin E, 400 IU daily is a good dosage. Foods such as sunflower hearts, canned tuna or salmon, and chopped almonds have a lot of E.