Help my Roo is sick (NOT EATING NOW) [UPDATE] He passed

[Gersbud]

Well thank you all for you time and help but my little Rudy
Passed away. Will send to vet for necropy.
I will sadly miss my little banty roo Rudy.
May the chicken angels be with him


My roo Rudy is sick. Don't quite know what is wrong with him. Here are his syptoms:

He walks like he is drunk.
He can't stand up straight.
When he gets out of a nest box he falls on his head.

No other syptoms I have seen.
Breaths regular
But his eyes are usually shut, But when you pick him up he only opens one eye.
Comb seems to be normal color.

Just don't know what to do for him or how to make him better. Please help.

Daughter woudl be crushed if his didn't make it

 

[airmom1c05]

In order for someone with lots of knowledge to help you, please include his age, what he eats, what his poo looks like, whether or not you worm him and when and with what, etc. I'm pulling for you and Rudy roo. I have no idea what's going on with him, but hopefully someone can help you. Head injuries can be serious. How far does he fall before landing on his head?

 

[Gersbud]

Well lets see,
Rudy is about 3 years old
He eats layer crum with the girls
He does not have worms and has not bee wormed.
The nest box in which he likes to spend most of the last 2 days is about I would say 5 to 6 inches off the ground.
When he gets out of the box instead of landing on his feet he lands on his head then he wobbles around like he is drunk.
As far as I can tell his poo is normal. Just going by what I have seen in that perticular nesting box.

 

[sammi]

if you have never wormed, how do you know he doesn't have worms?
you can't always see worms.
are you able to take a fecal sample to a vet for worm test?

please describe the droppings..color and consistency. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
"normal" doesn't tell me anything.

have you SEEN him eat and drink?
if he is unable to walk normally, how is he eating?

does he free range?
could he have got into anything?(chemicals, fertilizers, petroleum products, car oils?)

check his crop..how does it feel?
is it hard like a balloon? soft and squishy? grainy?
check his mouth and throat for any whitish or yellowish sores or plaque.

check his eyes..make sure he can see..and make sure they are clear, look for any gray.
does his closed eye have any crust around it?
can you check and see if it's been pecked?
is there any swelling?

make him this mixture..plain yogurt, a little regular cooked oatmeal, layer feed, and chopped egg.
make moist, not soupy.
if he is unable to eat on his own..roll the mix into small pellets, place in mouth and stroke neck to encourage swallowing.

but first, try and determine if he is able to swallow.

please get some Poly-vi-sol Childrens liquid vitamins..give 3 drops in beak (if standard size roo..
2 drops if bantam) in beak, once a day for a week, then taper off..

could be weakness from lack of eating enough, or an absorption problem..such as worms, for example.
could have crop problem.
could have eaten something bad.
could have been injured....
could be Mereks., or some other neuroligical problem.

will wait for your reply.

 

[Gersbud]

OK Sammi here it goes

I will seperate him and have his poo tested again.
His poo is still rather black/brown/white color and semi stiff consistency.

I have seen him eat. He will eat BOSS and cheerios and his layer. He doesn't seeem to have a problem with eating .

Can't really say that I have seen him drink though.

He does free range

I will go out again today after work around 4pm and check out his crop. Yesterday it didn't look distended and didn't feel squishy
But again I will check again.
I will also check in his mouth. I didn't check there before. Sorry I didn't think about that.
(Guess that is why I came here)

His eyes are clear they have not crust or spots in them. He just don't like to keep them open. And he can see. He seen me coming last night and took off on me. Looked like a drunk running

I will make him the food that you suggested and see if that helps. Could I instead of getting Poly vi sol give him some of the vitamins you give to chicks in their water?

Check him over for any wounds and could find none. No one picks on Rudy.
Rudy is a bantam rooster with a flock of standard chickens with the exception of 2 polish batam hens.

I don't know where he could have came in contact with Mareks. He has never left the property since I got him or any of the other girls. I have not raised any chciks in 1 1/2 years.
One last thing. Nobodyelse seems to be having this problem. It all seemed to start after I trimmed a little off his spurs. But that couldn't have anything to do with his behavior. Could it?
But thanks Sammi hope this helps. Let me know if any further info is needed.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Quote:
>>>>Due to the age of this bird I doubt is MAREKS

>>>You have him on a dangerous diet (layer crumbles>please provide a separate dish with a grower ration or such which does NOT have the 3% calcium in layer feed necessary ONLY for laying birds which is very bad for any NONlayer age of bird or roos....that being said , a layer diet would not be a likely candidate for the neurological symptoms you are seeing)

>>>Is this bird the only roo? Could he have gotten into a fight with another roo where he could have had a severe head injury?

>>> Look CAREFULLY around the area he freeranges/coop and run for wet areas where mold or forgotten grains might have been picked up and eaten....mycotoxins will cause these neurological symptoms. If his heads begins to droop DOWN (limberneck) then it is likely he has found a source of botulism (can be in water or insects etc)...

>>>Could he have gotten to a source of salt as salt toxicity will also cause this symptom . Have you put out any fertilizer or perhaps poison for roaches or mice?

You need to separate immediately to clean dry environment and address dehydration (as he will drink less)... you must ensure he does not become dehydrated. That is your number one consideration. You can give a bit of peanutbutter (to help any possible heavy metal poisoning which will also cause this symptom)... you can also give NORIT (activated charcoal)... wont hurt might help.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
He wouldn't need to leave the property to come in contact with Mareks. It is everywhere. most chickens have it dormant in their systems. It can manifest itself in times of stress. Do either of his legs or wings appear to be paralyzed or disabled, particularly on the left side?

 

[Gersbud]

i have him in the house with me right now.
Will not eat now and barely drinks. only when I put his beak in water. Will not eat scrambled eggs.

Yes he is the only roo

Only free ranges when I am there and never really leaves the pen area.
Nothing growing ther except grass

I really don't think that he is going to make it.

 

[sammi]

I'm sorry he isn't doing well..poor little fella.

go ahead and give the chick vitamins and follow dlhunicorn's suggestions.

other then getting into something toxic ..
he might have had a stroke.

 

[Gersbud]

Well here is an update on Rudy.
He has shown no signs of improvement. All I can get into him is just a small amount of water and the Poly vi Sol.
Outcome doesn't look good. Don't think that he will make it another night.
Although he did poo today and it was alll watery and green and only a small amount.

I really don't know what else to do for him. DH want to put him out of his misery.