Injured Leg or Something Else?

[nutmeg259]

My Favorelles Rooster, Samson, is around 9 months old. Last night, my husband commented that he noticed that he was acting funny. Kind of staggering all over the place, could mate with a hen, shaking his head, and didn't go up to roost. When I expressed alarm, he added that he hadn't roosted the previous night but didn't mention it. So this morning I spent some time observing him. He is walking, eat, and drinking, but seems to be moving quite slow, and almost toppling over from time to time. he will walk a little and then it looks like one of his legs will give out. He usually catches himself but a few times he appeared to be just laying on the ground. He also has a very poopy backside. It's still very cold in the Northeast and I had attributed that to freezing conditions.

It warned up today and I was going to snag him and isolate him but he looked like he was going to dust bathe and I thought it might help with the dirty bottom. My next step is to put him in a cat carrier until my husband gets home and we can I inspect him. I've also noticed that his beautiful tail feathers are looking pretty sad, like he's lost a few and the remaining ones are limp and stringy.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Urban Flock]

If the leg is injured you will want to isolate him so he doesn't injure it more. This is important. If injured you don't want it to get to the point where he can't walk on it at all. The messy back side and sad tail feathers may be because he can't balance himself to preen back there?

 

[nutmeg259]

I had (what I think) is a really good idea! My nesting boxes are huge. I wired over the entrance inside the coop, and put Samson in there to keep him isolated. I can open from the outside to give him good & water, he can see his ladies and won't be lonely, and he won't be crowing and smelling up my garage or basement.