Help!!! Rooster Laid Down

[Pasha1]

Our rooster is completely lethargic. He seemed fine today but went to lock up our coop tonight and he was laying down on his side. He is panting as well. It is hot here. I brought him inside to see if he needed to cool off. Is there anything I can do?

 

[speckledhen]

Stand him in a pan of water to cool his feet. Use the sprayer in the sink to spray under his wings. Give him cold things like fruit or yogurt to eat. I almost lost the rooster in my avatar yesterday to this brutal heat/humidity and I'm up at 2000 ft elevation in the mtns of Ga.

 

[hcppam]

Good Luck! let us know

 

[Pasha1]

Quote:
Tried to do the pan thing and he got up. Had to abort... he is terribly mean and very large. At least he is sitting up now.


Can chickens live thru something like this? I don't know if I can take him dying.

 

[Pasha1]

Quote:
Tried to do the pan thing and he got up. Had to abort... he is terribly mean and very large. At least he is sitting up now.


Can chickens live thru something like this? I don't know if I can take him dying.

I also put a pan of water near him and some yogurt.

 

[walbarbsa]

My rooster did the same thing. I thought he was a goner as his head was lolling to the side and he couldn't stand. I picked him up, sure he was going to die in my arms and remembered some good advice from BYC. I wet his feet and his comb, shoved some yogurt in his mouth; I re-wetted the same areas and took him out of the coop. I put him in the wheelbarrow with some hay, water and more yogurt and held my breath.

By next AM, I was so sure he'd be gone but he had his head up...not standing. Long story short, he's fine now. Unfortunately, the other roosters wouldn't accept him back in the coop so he has his own place along with an aging hen. They're both doing well and Fred, the rooster, is crowing happily again.

The trick is to find them before it's too late. Being too late can happen quickly in South Texas.....

Good luck.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, mine recovered after wetting him down with the hose. He turned dark purple and couldn't breathe and he was just trotting alongside me back to the pen after free ranging when I turned and saw him in distress, but the humidity was off the charts. Just let him rest in a cool area and he may be fine. The key is to catch it before their organs start shutting down.

 

[Pasha1]

Thanks all. He is in my shower on a towel. Hopefully he will make it thru the night. He is laying down on his side again. I wish I could force feed him but he freaks out. He's practically the size of a turkey and quite frankly scares the bejeezus out of me. He attacked me once and my leg still has the scars. Still don't want to lose him though.

 

[speckledhen]

You're doing all you can for him, really. Hopefully, he will make it. Just let us know how he does tonight.



ETA: If you can, you may try to syringe water into his mouth, if you can manage to hold him, maybe wrap a towel around him so he can't really move or flap his wings? Gatorade or unflavored Pedialyte is good for this emergency as well. Replaces what they lose with heat stress.