Mille fleur d’Uccle Bantam Rooster illness

[shawnacat]

Dix is an eight month old bantom rooster. He has a mate who is just like him, but is a frizzle named Pinecone. I have 12 other chickens, but these two stay in a separate coop, although they have access to the rest of the flock because they are small and they like to stay separate.

A week ago, I found Dix face down in the nesting blocks. I thought he was dead. But when I picked him up, he was definitely alive. I brought him and his mate inside. He couldn’t sit or stand had balance issues. I started him on vitamin E and nutri drench. He would eat and drink when I held him near the food and water. Over the course of last week he has gotten stronger and can stand intermittently, but will usually end up laying back down and sometimes falling over. He is crowing all the time now. Definitely improvement! But still not able to walk. Does this sound like a vitamin deficiency?

I did stop giving him vitamin E but I’m wondering if I should continue?

I live in North Carolina. He was being given the same food as the other Hen, which was a nature wise layer pellet. His bedding is a mixture of pine shavings and straw.

He is alert and eating and drinking, but not making as much progress as I would expect. I am not sure what’s going on. I don’t think it is Marek’s.

Anybody have any advice?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your rooster. You might try giving him 1/2 tablet of human super b complex (for riboflavin) and starting the vitamin E again. Dosage of vitamin E is 400 IU daily. You can crush the b complex and add it to a small treat such as scrambled egg.

 

[shawnacat]

Thank you! I will try that!

 

[shawnacat]

I just bought super B complex coded tablets. How do I give him half of one of these?

 

[shawnacat]

OK, I just discovered it was water soluble.
I also just had a aha moment. I think I might’ve hurt my rooster because I was only feeding him layer pellets. I’ve always only had hands in this last batch of chicks had a rooster. It didn’t even occur to me that I should be feeding him something different. Do you think that’s what’s caused his issues I hope they are reversible.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have fed layer feed at times to my roosters when the hens were laying with no problems. But later I fed all flock flock raiser feed which has only 1% calcium as opposed to 4% in layer. But you have to put out crushed oyster shell for the layers to take as needed. I usually just split a b complex tablet in half.

 

[shawnacat]

I have fed layer feed at times to my roosters when the hens were laying with no problems. But later I fed all flock flock raiser feed which has only 1% calcium as opposed to 4% in layer. But you have to put out crushed oyster shell for the layers to take as needed. I usually just split a b complex tablet in half.

I guess my question is after you split it in half do you just put it into their gullet? Or do you mash it into food?