Is my Pekin Bantam Rooster sick or dying of old age ?

[PuddleEndChicken]

My Pekin Bantam Rooster (El Macho !!) is 5 1/2 now. This is quite old but not THAT old as two of his siblings are still alive.

Anyway the last 2 days I've noticed he's gone rapidly downhill, quite lethargic, not roosting up but crouched on the floor at night, not moving around in the day or eating much.

I checked him over - he's moulting (when they are all at their weakest) but his comb is a healthy red, he's quite solid in weight, eyes, ears and feet good. No discharge from mouth or nose. No lice or mites.

I brought him in this evening and put him by the radiator with some sugar water and scrambled egg and he only took what food I pushed into him and he's mainly sleeping. I checked his crop - it feels quite "squishy" and hard - I'm not sure whether he's just eaten normally today or has an impacted crop ?? It's not distended like they sometimes are. He hasn't pooped at all. His beak has a very slight overbite but this hasn't caused him to stop eating as his crop is full.

I am planning to leave him until the morning and see whether the food has passed through his gut normally and what his poop is like. If he doesn't poop and the crop is still full I guess he's impacted. If the crop is empty then I'm not sure what is wrong, is he dying of old age ? Doesn't seem to be anything else wrong.

If his crop is impacted or gut is blocked, what can I do ? He's so lethargic that I'm worried turning him upside down and "emptying him" will be too much stress for him and also that it wouldn't work. And if he's just dying of "old age" then I don't want to be shaking him around at the end....rather he's just left quietly with his ladies...

Any advice please ?

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

I'm leaning toward slow or sour croup. Crops that feel squishy, like a water balloon or bread dough, are a good indicator food isn't moving.
Your instinct is correct - do not induce vomiting. The risk of aspiration is very high if there's a lot of fluid in the crop.

Yes, remove all water/food for the evening and check his poop in the morning.

I have one rooster that regularly gets slow crop - not full on sour or impact - just kind of slow. I give him 2 tablespoons of mineral oil and massage the crop frequently until every bit passes. I withhold water for the first day and all food until it's resolved.

I haven't dealt with impacted crop so I'm sure someone with experience can weigh in on treatment for that.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

I'm leaning toward slow or sour croup. Crops that feel squishy, like a water balloon or bread dough, are a good indicator food isn't moving.
Your instinct is correct - do not induce vomiting. The risk of aspiration is very high if there's a lot of fluid in the crop.

Yes, remove all water/food for the evening and check his poop in the morning.

I have one rooster that regularly gets slow crop - not full on sour or impact - just kind of slow. I give him 2 tablespoons of mineral oil and massage the crop frequently until every bit passes. I withhold water for the first day and all food until it's resolved.

I haven't dealt with impacted crop so I'm sure someone with experience can weigh in on treatment for that.

Update....I tried to "empty him" this evening - there's a lot in there and it got squishier as I massaged but not a drop came out. (I've done this many times over the years so I know the technique). Although his comb stayed red he went sort of floppy and I wondered whether he had aspirated. He was so floppy I thought he was dead. So I put him back in his run with his ladies. As soon as he heard them he sort of perked up.

So he's lying flat in the run (in a box) totally impacted. I think I'm going to give him 10ml of olive oil now and try one more massage tonight them leave him with his ladies overnight.

Thinking back these last few weeks he's been free-ranging in the orchard where some apples are on the ground - maybe had more fruit than he's used to and the peel is stuck in his crop ?