Lame rooster, coccidiosis or diet issue?

[Flockandfowl46]

Glad he's doing better hun...you have gotten some good advice here and I'm really leaning towards mareks so keep an eye on the others

 

[LittlePip21]

Glad he's doing better hun...you have gotten some good advice here and I'm really leaning towards mareks so keep an eye on the others

Yeah, he seems to be slowing down now, he's sitting down and closing his eyes. Brought him back in .Idk, I'm really not looking forward to a big long decline towards sickness, but I guess there isn't much that can be done about it. I think ruling out other stuff will help me decide what to do.

 

[Eggcessive]

He looked so much better in the latest pictures. I would let him do whatever he feels like—be with his flock, rest, whatever. The legs will not get better overnight. Hopefully, it isn’t Mareks, but no need to separate him. The vitamins may have a possible effect over some time.

 

[LittlePip21]

Update, he seems to be doing better, he is able to navigate the pen by himself and he's eating and drinking. He is having less balance issues too, i will post some new pics tomorrow. His poop this morning was healthy looking but slightly green. I was thinking about it, and my neighbors rooster had a wing that stuck strait out for no reason for a length of time, then I believe it disappeared. If this is marecks, could it possibly have come from that rooster? He's been dead way before I got doodles, but I could be a possibility. Everyone else, including the chicks are extreamly healthy, and doodles seems to be on the mend. Thanks for the support guys, I'll let you know how he's doing in a bit!

 

[ChickNanny13]

2x Eggcessive - Keep up the vitamins. Glad he's doing better.

 

[LittlePip21]

Here he is, I was wondering what vitamins you would suggest purchasing, I did not see any at my latest orchlens run. Is there a specific product anyone's had good luck with? I've never bought any before.

 

[LittlePip21]

Ps, he can walk fine now, he just acts stiff, and he likes to back up to a wall or anything solid and stand against it, I think he has a little trouble still not tipping backwards.hes eating and drinking by himself now too, and he's eating grapes again, which were difficult for him to break up himself. All in all, I think things are looking up!

 

[jllracer55]

Others can probably vouch better than myself but I got save a chick electrolytes that mix in the water since it had a mix of stuff in it plus it was recommended to me and others. I believe I just went through a round of coccidiosis with my young birds and some dehydration that only made this worse on those affected to the point that I lost 7 birds total :/ do you have Corid on hand as ive had to learn its handy to have, I thought I caught it in time in the 1 rooster we had left/ survived he started acting normally like yours is then suddenly got sluggish again layed around a lot and hardly wanted to eat and drink and eventually died on me. sure hope its nothing too serious.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I forgot to suggest that you give him some poultry vitamins daily that include riboflavin (vitamins B2.) A half of a vitamin B complex tablet crushed on food, or poultry vitamins in the water are good. And yes, it would be good to send in some fresh droppings for a fecal test to look for coccidiosis or worms.

 

[Nambroth]

Due to his age, you are less likely to see the leg issues associated with Marek's. Not impossible, just less likely. I would investigate other causes first, especially since there is no cure for Marek's. Treating his leg mites is a good first step. Does he have a vaulted skull? Some silkies with vaulted skull have permanent "soft spots" on their skull, which makes them somewhat more prone to injury that causes neurological symptoms. We often see this manifest as wry neck, but it's also possible that he clocked himself and hit something that is impairing his motor function especially of his legs.
How old is your home and surrounding buildings? Is there any chance at all that he could have found old lead paint chips in the soil? Or any other leaded items, old equipment, fishing weights, shotgun bbs, anything? Lead toxicity will also present like this in birds.
If it was botulism, which can also cause ataxia of the legs, I think you'd have lost him already so you can probably write that one off.
Vitamin therapy might be a good idea for now, as mentioned by earlier by someone else.