Ominous cock
Hatching
- Mar 16, 2018
- 3
- 1
- 4
Dear community,
I need some extra help with the diagnose and treatment of my rooster.
History
Last summer I left for a few months, to come back and see my housemates pretty much abandoned the chicken flock, just giving food and water. Plus a very warm and wet summer, which resulted in a massive infestation of scaly leg and blood mites.
From that, I treated the coop for red mites successfully and all legs for the scale mites. Then atumn came, and with the extra energy needed for moulting the rooster fell on his legs. Brought him inside, gave plenty of food and water, vitamins.. and after 3 weeks he completed the moult and was able to walk again. Joined the flock for the winter, it got in good shape. Now with spring moult he fell back on his legs.
Treatment
I saw his scale mite problem was still far from solved. Applied desinfectig soap + fat repeatedly, his legs looking way better, no dead scale material left.
His lameness started with him not really moving his legs that much. Also his wings became quite lame, he was very easy to handle. His head movement seemed alright, good appetite, even cleaning behaviour and crowing. Now its 4 weeks from that, he has improved a lot, during the day we let him in the pen and he can walk for short distances, then he sits and rests. His overall strenght is coming back and he is more difficult to handle during the cures.
Synthoms
What worries me is that he is still very skinny, his chest muscles are very thin. Also, when examining his legs I found out he has an inflammation in the inner and back side of his tarsal joints, both legs. It feels swollen and hot, although he does not look extremely painful when I poke it. That would explain why it hurted him sitting on his legs at the beginning of the lameless episode. In his right leg it also extends a bit on the front side of his tarsus.
I was checking this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/leg-foot-and-toe-issues-in-poultry-of-all-ages.68093/
I pretty much discarded everything except for:
-Bone or internal inflammation initially caused by the scale mite activity.
-Mycoplasma synoviae infection. Although it does not completely fit, because the inflammation does not extend to the feet. The feet are normal.
Can you assist me in diagnosing and treating it? What can I check to discard either scenario? What can you see in the pictures? do you have similar experiences?
Thanks a lot, let's see what we learn from this case
Pics
He is recovering and standing up.
Apart from the scales in bad condition the foot does not look inflammed.
This is the front side of his right leg that gets a bit of the inflammation. You can see between the scales
same thing. The joint inflammation is difficult to see, it is hidden beneath those feathers, inner side specially feels like a ball.
Trying to make it apparent - with no much success- but you can see where my finger points at
From the back it is a bit more clear. -Left is the inner side-
I need some extra help with the diagnose and treatment of my rooster.
History
Last summer I left for a few months, to come back and see my housemates pretty much abandoned the chicken flock, just giving food and water. Plus a very warm and wet summer, which resulted in a massive infestation of scaly leg and blood mites.
From that, I treated the coop for red mites successfully and all legs for the scale mites. Then atumn came, and with the extra energy needed for moulting the rooster fell on his legs. Brought him inside, gave plenty of food and water, vitamins.. and after 3 weeks he completed the moult and was able to walk again. Joined the flock for the winter, it got in good shape. Now with spring moult he fell back on his legs.
Treatment
I saw his scale mite problem was still far from solved. Applied desinfectig soap + fat repeatedly, his legs looking way better, no dead scale material left.
His lameness started with him not really moving his legs that much. Also his wings became quite lame, he was very easy to handle. His head movement seemed alright, good appetite, even cleaning behaviour and crowing. Now its 4 weeks from that, he has improved a lot, during the day we let him in the pen and he can walk for short distances, then he sits and rests. His overall strenght is coming back and he is more difficult to handle during the cures.
Synthoms
What worries me is that he is still very skinny, his chest muscles are very thin. Also, when examining his legs I found out he has an inflammation in the inner and back side of his tarsal joints, both legs. It feels swollen and hot, although he does not look extremely painful when I poke it. That would explain why it hurted him sitting on his legs at the beginning of the lameless episode. In his right leg it also extends a bit on the front side of his tarsus.
I was checking this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/leg-foot-and-toe-issues-in-poultry-of-all-ages.68093/
I pretty much discarded everything except for:
-Bone or internal inflammation initially caused by the scale mite activity.
-Mycoplasma synoviae infection. Although it does not completely fit, because the inflammation does not extend to the feet. The feet are normal.
Can you assist me in diagnosing and treating it? What can I check to discard either scenario? What can you see in the pictures? do you have similar experiences?
Thanks a lot, let's see what we learn from this case
Pics
He is recovering and standing up.
Apart from the scales in bad condition the foot does not look inflammed.
This is the front side of his right leg that gets a bit of the inflammation. You can see between the scales
same thing. The joint inflammation is difficult to see, it is hidden beneath those feathers, inner side specially feels like a ball.
Trying to make it apparent - with no much success- but you can see where my finger points at
From the back it is a bit more clear. -Left is the inner side-
- So in case it is Mycoplasma we would kill him before it spreads more.
