Mustard colored urates, stool otherwise normal

[mama23]

I tried this a year ago but I can't tell the difference between proper fermentation and mold. How do you know when it's too far gone? I remember years ago it would rain on the chickens feed and was so humid overnight that it would have a white coating in the morning. They would try to gobble it down and I always threw it out. Was that fermenting?

I do plan to get whole oats and whole wheat berries to sprout as well.

 

[rebrascora]

The difference I believe is in loosely covering the mixture so that carbon dioxide released by the fermentation process builds up in the space above the mixture and inhibits mould growth. It takes a couple of days for mould to start growing but by then the fermentation process prevents it. The mixture can turn sour if you don't keep feeding it with more dry feed. Your nose will tell you when it is right.

 

[mama23]

Thank you! I think I'm going to try it.

Here is another feather I just found. It just fell out. No bullying. I have a camera set up in their house. They are pretty sedentary when indoors. I'm continuing to be perplexed. Can that cutaneous version of mareks cause this? Zoom in and look at the gnarled looking end. It seems large and deformed.

Thank you all for your replies so far. I appreciate your help very much.

 

[rebrascora]

I've not seen a blood feather when it has been pulled out so that may be normal for a blood feather root or it may not. You can see that it is a new blood feather because it is still in it's Keratin sheath and just unfurling at the end.
None of mine have shown symptoms of Cutaneous Marek's but I know (as with everything Marek's) there are a huge variety of symptoms so it is possible that it is Marek's related but it is not uncommon for blood feathers to get pecked and pulled so it may have been loosened earlier and then fell out whilst you were watching. Hopefully someone else will have experience of something similar and contribute their opinion.
Have you looked over his skin for any blemishes?

 

[mama23]

I just came in from looking him over with a flashlight. I didn't see any scabs or anything that would make me think he has an infestation. The feather loss worries me bc once again each time he loses one it requires more protein and then he is at higher risk of mareks coming back. I just feel like I going in circles.

As an update on his stool, his urates are a little lighter. They are cream when freshly laid and dry to a banana colored yellow. Can't understand why they darken. My hens are white both when fresh and when dried.

 

[aart]

Zoom in and look at the gnarled looking end. It seems large and deformed.

Was the very end of that mushy......FuuuuuNKY!

 

[mama23]

Nope totally hard. I think the gnarled portion may be normal when I think about the normal structure of a wing. This must be a flight feather with a strong base. I'm at a loss.

 

[mama23]

I think he is anemic. It causes all of these symptoms. Feather loss, weakness, lameness, pale comb and face, and a buildup of bilirubin causing yellow urates. I talked to the lady I got him from today. She looked at his pics. She still has his brother who is two weeks older. She said he is definitely pale. I started him on raw burger and will pick up some red cell tmrw. I have felt he was too pale since he had coccidia two months ago. I would have thought he would have recovered by now but I guess it's got him down. I'll know whether or not this is what's wrong in a month and I'll update then if he's still alive.

Another possibility is it is mareks and he has liver tumors causing anemia. He has no chance if it's the latter does he?

 

[Kiki]

View attachment 1651857 View attachment 1651870 My rooster is 20 weeks old. Two weeks ago he started acting weak, sort of falling to one side and decreased appetite. He also started with yellow urates. I have had mareks here in the past and was afraid he was falling into it. I increased his protein and his stability improved (though still present) and his stools returned to normal consistency. His appetite is good. However his urates are still mustard yellow. I have him on immuno charge (same company that puts out avia charge) and also have him on milk thistle which I have used many times in the past on hens with liver issues with good results. Despite being on milk thistle two weeks his urates are still yellow. I'm at a loss. If it were bacterial the immuno charge should help. If it were his liver that should have improved with the milk thistle. If he is fighting a mild case of mareks is it possible he is still just stressed? Is there any other explanation I'm overlooking? He is not dehydrated. The only health issue he has had is coccidia when he was 6 weeks old. It kept coming back on him through a few corrid treatments and I finally switched to an extremely diluted oregano oil to get rid of it completely. No recurrence since then. I will attach his stool pics as well as a recent pic of him in case anyone sees anything off. Thank you.

I am trying to catch up on all of your threads. Just starting to read this one.
Are these tape worm segments?

 

[Kiki]

I used it on him when I first got him at 4 weeks of age. He had grain mites on him. I was told they don't live on chickens but he definitely had them. I didn't notice any yellow urates but for the longest time he had yellow around his eyelids. That is all gone now.

Yes they are pine shavings. Southern states sells various sizes. I plan to get the medium size next time. The mini I got this time are too small.

Yellow what around his eyes?
Bugs or crusty like stuff?