Is my rooster depressed?

[Helloworld]

Rhode Island Red

By that pic, he shouldn’t be sitting like that. Something is off.

Does he get up and walk?

 

[Ebony Rose]

He's enormous for a 5 month old! I don't think food is his issue. I think he might be (at least part) meat bird. Does he eat while sitting or laying down? You're gonna need to check his legs and bottoms of his feet. You're looking for swelling or broken bones from his toes to his hips, and bumblefoot on the bottoms of his feet (bumblefoot often presents as a dirty brown or black spot in the big pad of the foot, sometimes looks like a scab, other times just looks dirty).

 

[Shezadandy]

What about splitting the current hens up?

Based on the picture, it's not a matter of anything the other birds are doing. I would let the others do their thing. This is something physical happening to just this rooster.

One thing I would check for is parasites. Check by his vent, under the wings etc. and make sure his inactive status hasn't made him a bloodsucker's feast. (not a bad idea to check the others too, just to be safe). Here's a link with pictures:

https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

Could be he's too heavy for his frame - i.e. genetic issue. Definitely do a quick look for bumblefoot. The other thing you could try is dosing him with aspirin to see if his immobility is a pain issue. I get the children's chewable aspirin and crush it onto a favorite treat. If he moves better post-aspirin, that could be a clue.

 

[Ebony Rose]

What about splitting the current hens up?

I wouldn't split the group that's getting along, as it is you only have three pullets/hens, and a single rooster can easily cover many more than three... watch your girls combs and feathers when the rooster starts breeding them, he may need more hens (depends on the rooster). You can decide what to do for your big boy once you have a handle on what's troubling him. Please keep us updated on your findings, and pictures of him, his feet, legs, poop, etc., are welcome.

 

[Helloworld]

Maybe he is a cornish cross. You would see that way of sitting.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If he is a Cornish cross, at five months, he is about at the end of his life expectancy. They are bred to be harvested (butchered) quite young.

 

[aart]

Could a red ranger....not a CX, they are white.
Hard to say just how big it is, with nothing for scale(who know how big that dish is?).
Not much doubt that something is wrong with it's legs.

 

[Billylorichicken]

Rhode Island Red

By that pic, he shouldn’t be sitting like that. Something is off.

Does he get up and walk?

Yes he does. I think he's a meat chicken

 

[Billylorichicken]

I wouldn't split the group that's getting along, as it is you only have three pullets/hens, and a single rooster can easily cover many more than three... watch your girls combs and feathers when the rooster starts breeding them, he may need more hens (depends on the rooster). You can decide what to do for your big boy once you have a handle on what's troubling him. Please keep us updated on your findings, and pictures of him, his feet, legs, poop, etc., are welcome.

Ty for the info. That really helped.

 

[slordaz]

not sure if you raised them as chicks but he could have had an issue with legs that wasn't addressed. he's older than most I have treated, but you might try and see if bracing via hobbles or splinting might get him up and walking like he should, not sure if at this late date it will correct it or not though. Another option is putting him in a chicken sling.