My poor crippled bantam roo

NC29mom

Songster
9 Years
Jun 15, 2010
525
12
121
Scotland Neck, NC
I have a 1 1/2 yr old black tailed white japanese bantam (Luther) that is the sweetest, most beautiful roo EVER! Poor thing.....few months ago came home and he couldn't walk on R leg. Took him to an avian vet (twice actually) for the workup (spent approx $600) only for the vets to say, "We can't figure out WHAT is wrong with this roo!" Their best guess was it's related to his nervous system...duh! They did give me X 4 meds to attempt to help him (antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and some other med) but nothing worked.

So, now he sits..........literally.....in his coop while all the others roam the yard. I still have his brother, Tiger, who has really been a jerk lately. And, it's starting to tick me off. Luther is in an attached area with about 5 hens and Tiger is right next door with 6 hens. Well, every AM Tiger flies over to Luthers pen and harasses him. It's really upseting me. Poor Luther can't defend himself. I found Luther one AM crammed in between 2 nesting boxes - assuming he was trying to get away from Tiger since Tiger was in his pen. I have even resorted to chasing Tiger with a stick......just trying to get my point across.

I hate to get rid of Tiger.........cause I have 11 japanese hens (and oh.....like 12 egss in incubator) that will need a roo if something happens to Luther. And, Tiger is a good roo - to his hens. He's very protective.

Never had any problems before. Tiger & Luther and all the japanese hens were all together. Tiger & Luther would take turns watching over them. One would nap or dust while the other would keep the watch! But, now that Luther has been hurt, things aren't the same.

Anyway..............just wanted to vent. It makes me so sad to see Luther sitting all by himself. I usually let 3-4 of his hens out during the day so they can roam the yard like the rest of my birds. I never leave Luther alone......always leave at least 2 with him. He's so sad.......He can stand, but not for long......and he hops.....not putting any weight at all on his right leg. I have to feed and water him 2xday (probably more so me..just wanting to make sure he's getting what he needs).

by the way......the roos are the ones in my avatar (xcept they are a bit older now)
 
Poor little Luther. Roos just seem to take any opportunity to be dominant. You could try keeping Luther's side closed until a little later in the day. You could also tell Tiger you don't approve by holding his head down and pinching the back of his neck (not roughly just firmly), but it sounds like Tiger is determined to be boss of the whole coop. I hope he never takes his attacks too far and injures Luther.

It sounds like you are doing your best give Luther a normal life in the flock despite his mysterious leg problem.
 
thank you scratch'n'peck

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Sorry about your rooster! I have seramas and they look alot like the japanese....is there temprament alike as well. Just wondering? Seramas are so hard to get, especially where i live, but i could order some japanese from mcmurray.
 
Sorry about your roo.
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I just had to cull my favorite roo, 3 years old, for an untreatable foot problem. We tried everything, nothing worked.

Can you take your roo and set him in the shade outside with water nearby? My Thor used to be happy just being able to sit and watch his girls forage.
 
UPDATE:

My Luther had adapated pretty well, I must say. I did end up having to downsize my Sebright roos, because they were so aggressive. Now I am down to my mutt Rocky roo (who started it all....and will ALWAYS have a home here), Luther's brother, Tiger (another BTW) and 1 Golden Laced Sebright roo (I had 4).

I ended up just letting Luther out with the rest of the chickens. We have a really nice coop, and each breed has their own pen. But, I get up every AM at about 0600 and let them all out to roam the yard. Luckily, we have several acres, and they are able to roam for the day. The coop doors stay open for egglaying and refreshment. I also keep waters all throughout the yard.

Luther usually hangs out under the bushes (with the other chickens), or near the coop. He kinda keeps the same schedule with his movements. Every once in a while Rocky or Tiger will harass him. If I am outside, they don't dare, but I have seen it happen while looking out the window. I make sure to offer him food and water every day, because he does have problems leaning over to drink....he loses his balance very easily.

He still tries to mate with the girls. And, sometimes, I will corner a few and walk them in the pen with him so he doesn't have to chase them through the yard. Poor thing, when he finally does catch one, it takes him a bit. With his bad leg, it's hard for him to balance on their backs. But.....he tries!!

I am glad I decided to put him back out with the rest of his friends. They have always been together and I could tell he was getting depressed watching them roam all day while he was cooped up. I still worry a predator might get him (though to my knowledge, we have never had any.......unless that's what happened to his leg), but I think if Luther had the choice, he would take the chance.

Here's my boy now: (he spends most of the day sitting, because he just can't bear weight on his right leg for very long)

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and his brother, Tiger
 
I have a crippled roo also and have to take him out when the girls go out. His toes are pinched up real close together so he can't stand very well but, he still does his "man" job and is healthy but quite dirty because he sits mostly like yours, so he has a slab of concrete he roosts on in the coop since he can't get up high with the girls. I sent the others to freezer camp for just plain beating the fool out of him. I took a shovel to the most aggresive one and he was the first to be dispatched the next morning.

Yours is a handsome devil.
 
Quote:
Awwwww......
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the things we do for our favorites! How did your roo become "crippled"? It does irritate me how the other roos wanna pick on the weakest one.....but my fiance says that's the nature of the beast. I really love his brother, Tiger, BUT...if he doesn't tighten up....I may have to get rid of him too........lately he's done ok........Things have DEFINITELY quieted down since I got rid of the 4 sebrights. Sebrights may be small, bantam chickens.......but they would fight my big standard roo any ole day!! And.....win most of the time!! My big roo would take off running.....

Glad to hear there are others out there with the same compassion and love for the "helpless" chickens like me! YAH!
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