Lethargic Rooster

[alinas2010]

I think he's doing a little better but still quite lethargic. What should an empty crop feel like?

I don't see any visual signs that he's having trouble breathing, is there anything I should pay particular attention to in regards to breathing?

Oh okay, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you weren’t sure about the crop. So you know what a full crop feels like, well in the mornings you should not even know it’s there. It will literally be flat. No bump at all. Not even a little bump. Any food left in the crop is a sign things aren’t moving right.

Signs of trouble breathing would be shallow breaths or short, quick, breaths. Sometimes gaping can be seen.

Is he hunched up at all?
Has your flock been dewormed or treated for coccidiosis ever?

 

[Zachm611]

No sorries I'm very grateful for your help! As we are first time chicken owners and kind of learning as we go. We never really thought about having chickens until an experiment that supposedly wasn't a fertilized egg ended up hatching. It was so funny when he was growing up even the squeaks of shopping carts would sound like his little peeps and we'd be like that sounds like clucky! And we didn't want him to be alone so we bought 2 other chicks.

I'll check his crop tomorrow first thing in the morning assuming he makes it through the night. I'm kinda scared because a lot of threads similar to mine don't usually end well...

He doesn't appear to be showing any of those signs of troubled breathing so I'd assume he's breathing fine.

It's kinda hard to say if he's hunched up or not maybe just a little?

And to be honest they've never been dewormed or treated for coccidiosis. They seem to have been healthy and strong birds up until recently clucky hasn't been his usual self.

But if you could provide some advice or guidance on doing both as in what I should use and how, I'll definitely take any advice you have!

 

[alinas2010]

Here I’m going to call on some of the educators for advice on coccidiosis and deworming. I’ve never had to do either for my flock and if you are genuinely worried about him not making it through the night, they may have some better advice than I might. I think you’re doing good with the electrolytes and wet feed. You might consider bringing him inside with you if he won’t roost tonight.

@Eggcessive
@Wyorp Rock
@azygous

Do you have some advice?

 

[Zachm611]

Thanks for the help! He did end up going to the coop with the other 2 chickens so I guess that's good?

 

[alinas2010]

Thanks for the help! He did end up going to the coop with the other 2 chickens so I guess that's good?

You’re welcome. Sometimes these things are hard to tell what’s wrong. Sorry I’m not much more help.

I can tell you for coccidiosis you would use corid. You can get it at most farm supply stores. It’s not a bad idea to have on hand if you ever want to expand your flock or get chicks as they’re the most susceptible to coccidiosis, usually. I’m only familiar with the strain that causes very bloody droppings, so I can’t say if that is what your rooster is suffering from, however.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

rooster is about 10 months

A couple hours later I went out to visit the flock and he was out but he really wasn't moving and he didn't make any of the happy noises he usually makes when I walk up, didn't really respond to his name other than to look at me...he pretty much just stood in front of the water and has been steadily drinking it.

His crop felt soft and squishy, I'm honestly not sure how they're supposed to feel... we're first time chicken parents lol. But it kinda felt like if you squeeze something soft that's self inflating and it would fill back up.

Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry your rooster is not feeling well.

What do you normally feed?

You had mentioned he was standing and drinking a lot in your first post, often that can be an indication that a chicken is having some crop problems.

Is there a way to take a sample of his poop to your vet for a fecal float to see if he has worms and/or Coccidiosis?

If not, then I'd treat for worms and Coccidiosis. Perhaps Enteritis as well, you'd need an antibiotic.

To deworm, you can use (Fenbendazole) Safeguard Liquid Goat dewormer or Equine Paste OR (Albendazole) Valbazen. You can usually find Safeguard at stores like TSC, for Valbazen usually you will need to order it.

To treat most worms that poultry can have except for Tapeworm you can use Safeguard (Fenbendazole) or Valbazen (Albendazole). Both are given orally by weight; they do not mix well with water.

Safeguard dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days in a row.
---OR---
Valbazen dose is 0.08ml per pound of weight given orally once, then repeated in 10 days

Here's how to give oral medications:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

For treating Coccidiosis you can use Amprolium (Corid) this is usually in the cattle section of stores like TSC.
Liquid Corid dose is 2tsp or Powdered Corid Dose is 1 1/2tsp per gallon of water given for 5-7 days as the only source of drinking water.
Do not add any extra vitamins/electrolytes that contain B1(Thiamine) to food or water during the course of treatment.

An antibiotic to treat symptoms of Enteritis, I'd use a sulfa antibiotic.

Work on him drinking, if you have electrolytes, I'd push those to see if he perks up. Giving wet mushy feed is fine if he will eat.
Do re-check that crop first thing in the morning before he eats/drinks, it should be flat, if it isn't let us know.

 

[Zachm611]

Thanks for all the information...his crop looked and felt the same as it did yesterday morning. It's a bit squishy maybe something comparable to memory foam lol. Does this look like it could be an impacted crop? His mouth doesn't smell sour either but I'm not sure if what's referred to as sour crop and impacted is the same?

Also he's eating Purina flock raiser, should I switch to something else?

 

[alinas2010]

Thanks for all the information...his crop looked and felt the same as it did yesterday morning. It's a bit squishy maybe something comparable to memory foam lol. Does this look like it could be an impacted crop? His mouth doesn't smell sour either but I'm not sure if what's referred to as sour crop and impacted is the same?

Also he's eating Purina flock raiser, should I switch to something else?

If his crop was not flat first thing this morning, he has a crop issue going on. That is likely why he isn’t feeling well.

Here is a great article to get you started treating him:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Until one of the experts can give you some better advice give that article a read. He may not have a sour crop yet, but it doesn’t sound like it’s emptying. I would work on trying to break up whatever is clogging it up. Try freezing little chunks of coconut oil and letting him peck at them. Then massage his crop in a slightly upward motion.

 

[Zachm611]

If his crop was not flat first thing this morning, he has a crop issue going on. That is likely why he isn’t feeling well.

Here is a great article to get you started treating him:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Until one of the experts can give you some better advice give that article a read. He may not have a sour crop yet, but it doesn’t sound like it’s emptying. I would work on trying to break up whatever is clogging it up. Try freezing little chunks of coconut oil and letting him peck at them. Then massage his crop in a slightly upward motion.

Thanks for the advice! I read somewhere about olive oil so I tried giving him some earlier but he wasn't too thrilled so I had to get a little creative and inject blue berries with olive oil (he loves blueberries lol) but I think him being able to peck at coconut oil would be a much better option lol, I'll go pick some up later after the wife gets off.

 

[alinas2010]

Thanks for the advice! I read somewhere about olive oil so I tried giving him some earlier but he wasn't too thrilled so I had to get a little creative and inject blue berries with olive oil (he loves blueberries lol) but I think him being able to peck at coconut oil would be a much better option lol, I'll go pick some up later after the wife gets off.

I haven’t had an hen turn down frozen chunks of coconut oil yet, I’m not sure why they like it? Olive oil has worked for me, too, though. I mix it in with raw egg and let them go at it so I don’t risk aspiration in trying to feed it to them myself. Putting it in the blueberries is smart! I did that with yeast infection medication when I had a hen that needed treatment, she was none the wiser!

Let us know how he gets along.