Help...please let me know what's wrong with my roo

[ebertschic]

I don't know how old he is because I got him last year from a farmer. But I have a silkie roo who is not doing good and I thought yesterday was going to be it.

For about a week he has not been hanging around his girlfriend. He would be standing there and his head would drop as if he's nodding off to sleep. Then after a minute, he'd pick his head up again.

Now he doesn't come out of the coop and barely lifts his head up. What's happening? I did pick him up and look him over, I didn't see any bugs or anything.

Please help. The picture below was taken 8/6 when we thought it was cute that he fell asleep standing up. Now he can barely walk.




~J~

 

[Firekin1]

Have you checked to see if his crop has been emptying properly? Has he been eating and drinking normally?

 

[ebertschic]

I just had to google " crop emptying properly " because I've never heard of that. I'll have to check when I get home from work.

He's barely eating / drinking. Poop is dark green.

 

[Firekin1]

He may have an impacted crop which would make him stop eating and drinking, and become lethargic. They gradually fill it though out the day, it should feel kind of like a squishy lump on the right side of the chest. If it properly empties you shouldn't be able to feel or see it by morning. If he's not eating and yet a lump is still there anyway it's impacted. Sour crop is another option, a good indication of that is nasty chicken breath, this as well will make your bird very ill.

 

[ebertschic]

If this is the case, what do I do for him ?

 

[Firekin1]

This site has some excellent information on crop issues, as well as pretty much every and any issue that pops up and how to treat them. Even has a section on good poo and bad poo. http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/answers-from-chicken-vet-on-impacted.html

 

[ebertschic]

He has no lumps or bumps on his chest. Skin and bones. His head's looking a bit funky though. Is there a chicken disease that includes head fungus?

He has a foul odor, almost like rot, and he's losing feathers there as well.

 

[ebertschic]

 

[Eggcessive]

In the first picture it looks like he might have wry neck or crook neck. That is a neurological symptom where the neck is twisted to one side, or held down or upward at the sky. The treatment is vitamins B1 or thiamine, vitamin E, and selenium. Have you checked his head and body for lice and mites? Is there some sort of skin disease? Has he had a Mareks vaccine? Favus is a fungal disease that can affect the comb and wattles, then spread to the feathered areas. Can you take him to the vet? Here is some reading about wry neck: http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/59/favus

 

[Firekin1]

Does his face look a bit swollen to you? I have a horrible time seeing photos but he almost looks like he has scaly face mites...if he's quite boney I would see about a vet, especially if he's been ill for a while, and if you don't feel his crop he's not eating which is very bad...