My Daughter's Birchen Cochin Rooster (Show Bird)

[christmaschicken]

My Daughter's best show bird, whom we house with his mate a splash cochin hen.
Has started to limp all of a sudden and seems to be off balance he appears to be
favoring his right side, and at times is dragging his wing. He tries to do "the dance" for his little mate and seems to get very off balance in the process and has to catch himself.

I have found him twice now in the morning laying on his side as if he could not pull himself upright. I place him out of the cage, and let him run around a few hours to strech thinking maybe he is stiff? but I am starting to wonder, do they strokes? maybe this is what has happened? or maybe while trying to mate he injured himself he is a clumbsy little guy. I am just concerned he is such a sweetie pie he seems to be getting a tad better on putting weight on it, but still off balance of sorts it seems.

Anyone ever had this kind of thing happen any ideas?

 

[wegotchickens]

He's a pretty boy!

I am not sure what's wrong. Does he have spurs? Is he in a wire cage?
If it's a strain it make take time to heal him (I am experiencing that with my roo). But the laying on the side sounds serious.

If chickens can have heart attacks I think they could also have strokes...

Hopefully someone more knowledgable will come along soon and have suggestions.

 

[christmaschicken]

He is in a wire cage a very roomy one we spoil her show birds, he seems to be not limping on it AS HARD today, and it seems now it is when he is dancing for her he get's off balance they are both on very fine
pine shavings so he has always had a soft bedding to stand on (VERY SPOILED) lol... he has not been on his side for 2 days now so I am "PRAYING" it was a strain or something that just needs time to heal I could post a video of his behavior let me see if I can figure out how to do this....

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Could he have possibly got his foot caught in the cage and got it twisted? I hope he gets better.

 

[happyfeetfarms]

You have beautiful bird. Shows and fairs are bad places for disease. There conditions can be poor. Maybe he needs more time to excersize out of his cage.

 

[cochinbantam-lover]

What a handsome fellow!!! Hope he's ok

 

[Lady~Araucana]

He is defintly handsome i have one that looks alot like him! I love to watch him strut around.

 

[christmaschicken]

UPDATE....

He is somehow flipping upside down at night I find him on his back and he just can
not get himself up it seems. I let him out for a few hours in the morning to stretch his legs and all. And at night the same thing it seems to get worse at night for him
poor little guy.

I know this sounds crazy but I think I am going to set him on a heating pad tonight, when I try to pull on his left leg his shank seems to be sore so now I am thinking he has most certainly pulled something the way there cage is set up it is plastic on the bottom and only the top is metal it is a HUGE Bunny cage big enough for 4 of them but is ony him and his mate and has Fine Shavings on the bottom very very soft. I am hoping the heat pad trick will give him some comfort threw the night hey it does not hurt to try right?

He is still loosing balance when walking around and favoring the leg I think this little guy is going to get some major TLC for a few weeks.

 

[christmaschicken]

I think he might have Mericks or something he is only getting worse he has all his witts about him just has no balance and drags his wing it seems to be one side of his body that is having a problem.

I just don't know what to do but everything I read is showing signs of this.

 

[cochincuddler]

Update: My poor little roster didn't survive something was wrong with his spine and he past away,