Help! Sick Rooster!

[tenmile67]

My Rooster is very sick and hopefully someone can give me some ideas. I only have 6 hens and the rooster. They are free range all day and put up in the evenings. Clean water, clean coop and organic feed. I went to put them up the night before last and noticed he was slow and lethargic. The next morn his neck was hung low and he was standing but not moving. He's not eating or drinking. I've been feeding him liquid vitamin and water through a dropper.

Any help would be appreciated...I want to help him if possible before I have to put him down. He's such a good guy.

Thanks

 

[foreverlearning]

Check his vent for signs of lice and mites. Poultry dust or Sevin will work for that. Does he have any other symptoms? Have you seen worms in any poop? How does his crop feel? How old is he?

 

[tenmile67]

He may be 3 yrs. Stool was starting to get runny but didn't see worms or blood. He feels warm to the touch. It's like he cant hold his head up and is very wobbly.

 

[foreverlearning]

Not much to go on. Stool will be runny because of lack of food. Is he still passing stool? If so that is a good sign. Clean him up, isolate him in a warm area, dust just in case it is lice, and give him some vitamin B to help with energy. Maybe if he gets a little more energy you can get him to eat a little bit. The liquid vitamin b for humans is ok and would be easier to get into him than a crushed up pill.

 

[tenmile67]

What about antibotics?

 

[Eggcessive]

If he has been moved recently, or if you have added other chickens he could have been exposed to coccidiosis. It can be tracked in on your shoes and car tires also. Since their are 9 different strains, even though most grown chickens have deveoped immunity to strains of cocci their yards, any time a new one shows up they can get sick. Corid (amprollium) 2 tsp of liquid or 1 tsp of the powder to 1 gallon of water for 5-7 days will treat it. Another drug to treat it is sulfamethoxine (Albon, Sulfamed-G, and Di-Methox are brands) which is a treatment for cocci plus a sulfa drug to treat infection. I also agree with worming him (Valbazen is best) and check under his vent closely for lice and mites. Mites can make them anemic.

Edited for spelling.

 

[cafarmgirl]

What about antibotics?

It never hurts to try. You could try one of the sulfa meds that Eggcessive mentioned that would also hit cocci at the same time.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sulfadimethoxine is a sulfa drug/antibiotic. Here it is: http://www.kvsupply.com/sulfadimethoxine-107-grams/&refcode=google?gclid=CKL16reP3bkCFUxgMgodWlMAyw and http://www.drugs.com/vet/sulfadimethoxine-concentrated-solution-12-5.html

 

[dawg53]

You stated that his feces is runny...what color is it?

 

[tenmile67]

The only thing I could get is tetracycline at the co-op. He seemed a little stronger today but not great. I smashed up some pellets and mixed it with water and started feeding him with a syringe. He is pooping. It's runny but normal color.

Thanks for the advise. I can't believe the poor guy is still alive. Now I'm on a mission...