Lethargic Rooster

[PonyRaindrop]

Update on him:
We ended up getting gardstar garden and poultry dust along with VetRx liquid. We were not able to get the vitamins, although the poultry nutridrench has both e and b in low quantities.
We syringed a few drops of the VetRx into his mouth and about five minutes later he was very hungry and ate a lot of egg and soupy feed. We also syringed some water into his mouth but it wasn’t a lot.
he is acting more alert now, his head is moving around and he is holding it up along with his tail, but he can’t stand upright at all. He is currently laying up against the dog crate on one side so he isn’t flat out.
I have some Corid that I can give him, but I was worried it would be too much on his body..

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

That's improvement! Glad he's feeling a bit better, but you aren't out of the woods yet. @Eggcessive is it called permethrin spray? (The stuff that kills mites/lice?) I don't want to give misinformation.

 

[Kizmet]

If the infestation was bad enough it could definitely be making him feel lethargic. Hope he’s on the mend!

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, permethrin garden dust or permethrin spray is good for lice, and should be used at 10 day intervals until they are gone. Lice eggs hatch every 10 days, so that will help to kill newly hatched ones. The coop bedding should be taken far away, and the roosts, nest boxes, coop, and other chickens should all be treated. The Garden Star dust is fine.

Is the rooster able to move his legs or stand briefly? Have you added any new birds recently? Was he vaccinated for Mareks disease?

 

[PonyRaindrop]

Yes, permethrin garden dust or permethrin spray is good for lice, and should be used at 10 day intervals until they are gone. Lice eggs hatch every 10 days, so that will help to kill newly hatched ones. The coop bedding should be taken far away, and the roosts, nest boxes, coop, and other chickens should all be treated. The Garden Star dust is fine.

Is the rooster able to move his legs or stand briefly? Have you added any new birds recently? Was he vaccinated for Mareks disease?

He’s able to move his legs but he doesn’t want to stand at all. We took him out of the garage where he is at into the yard so we could sprinkle the dust on him and he doesn’t support himself. He only lays flat out. The last new bird I added was in the summer around July I believe. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t vaccinated because I got him when he was three weeks old from a backyard breeder, but I’m not sure.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can try to make him a chicken sling or chair to get him upright to make eating easier. Some chickens do not tolerate them well without struggling. They should get time out of them often to rest and sleep, and to stretch. Here are 3 pages of examples:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

Make sure you dust him well around the places where he can't reach. Like his bum and under his wings. That's where the lice like to hide.

 

[PonyRaindrop]

You can try to make him a chicken sling or chair to get him upright to make eating easier. Some chickens do not tolerate them well without struggling. They should get time out of them often to rest and sleep, and to stretch. Here are 3 pages of examples:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

I will definitely look into these, Thankyou!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @SBFChickenGirl Sorry for the late response, I had to go to a barn that my horse is boarded at.
We separated him, he is now in our garage and there is a heat lamp on him about two feet away. We don’t have the vitamin b or vitamin e or wormer right now but we found lice on him...poop stuck to his rear feathers

he is acting more alert now, his head is moving around and he is holding it up along with his tail, but he can’t stand upright at all. He is currently laying up against the dog crate on one side so he isn’t flat out.

He’s able to move his legs but he doesn’t want to stand at all.

I would try to clean up his rear really well and get a good look at his vent.
It's good you found the lice and dusted him. Repeat in 7 day intervals. Yes, I would definitely treat the other birds too.

I would go ahead and give him the Poultry Nutri-Drench at 1cc per 3 pounds of weight. See if you can encourage him to eat his normal feed - make it into a wet mash. Extra protein in addition to his nutritionally balanced feed would be o.k. too - a little egg, fish or meat.
Getting him hydrated is very important.

Can you get some good photos of his legs and feet (bottom of feet too)?

You may want to carefully trim the feathers around his eyes. It's very hard to see in the photos, but check his nostrils to make sure they are not clogged up with feed. Seems like Silkies have that problem. His comb has lots of nooks/crannies and looks a bit crusty. Since you have Vet Rx, I would put a very light application of that on the comb - some of those white crusty things may come off.

Check his crop first thing in the morning before he eats/drinks - it should be empty.

 

[PonyRaindrop]

I would try to clean up his rear really well and get a good look at his vent.
It's good you found the lice and dusted him. Repeat in 7 day intervals. Yes, I would definitely treat the other birds too.

I would go ahead and give him the Poultry Nutri-Drench at 1cc per 3 pounds of weight. See if you can encourage him to eat his normal feed - make it into a wet mash. Extra protein in addition to his nutritionally balanced feed would be o.k. too - a little egg, fish or meat.
Getting him hydrated is very important.

Can you get some good photos of his legs and feet (bottom of feet too)?

You may want to carefully trim the feathers around his eyes. It's very hard to see in the photos, but check his nostrils to make sure they are not clogged up with feed. Seems like Silkies have that problem. His comb has lots of nooks/crannies and looks a bit crusty. Since you have Vet Rx, I would put a very light application of that on the comb - some of those white crusty things may come off.

Check his crop first thing in the morning before he eats/drinks - it should be empty.

Yesterday we trimmed the best we could around his eyes, but when I get home from school I will work on that some more, along with getting pictures of his feet and legs. I will have someone at home that is able to give him the nutri drench and use the Vet Rx on him.
This morning he was laying almost all the way on his side and my mom said that his feet were cold...is there a chance that may be a sign of something?
He is still alert and although he isn’t clucking, he still will move his head and look at you. He also still shows signs of having an appetite.