Old age or something else?

[rebrascora]

You might want to buy some grower for him rather than layer pellets. The extra calcium in layer can lead to gout in birds that are not actively laying and have no need for it to make egg shells. If most of your flock are moulting, switching them all to grower for now would be a good move and offer crushed egg shells or crushed oyster shells in a spate dish for the actively laying birds to help themselves to whatever they need.

 

[SpringbankFamilyFarm]

Do you have any other roosters or cockerels? That comb looks like he has been fighting or been pecked. Have you added any new birds to the flock in the past few months? My two thoughts are gout caused by a diet of layer pellets or an outbreak of Marek's due to the stress of moulting and/or being challenged by another male bird.
There is a product called Nutri Drops here in the UK which is made by Nettex. It comes boxed in a little bottle with a dropper and is a vitamin tonic that you can give them a few drops of directly into their beak and/or put into their water. You should be able to source some at your local feed store or online. I think it is very similar if not the same as Nutri Drench in the USA.
It would also be worth checking the soles of his feet for any bumblefoot infection and it looks like he has a bit of scaly leg mites so a soak in a warm Epsom salts bath and a gentle scrub with an old tooth brush or similar then dried and slathered with petroleum jelly or any other thick greasy product.... I have Protection Plus [ink salve for my horses and that works well and Vick's Vapour Rub also works well.

He will most likely get sores on his hocks from sitting down on them and that can then get infected quite easily so he may benefit from being put into a chicken sling to support his weight. They can be made quite simply from everyday items..... see below.
You need to adjust the fabric so that his feet just touch the bottom otherwise they can panic and food and water pots (empty yoghurt pots work well) can be clipped to the front for him to reach himself.
View attachment 1552060

I do have another cockerel but they are separated with separate hens because they didnt get along although i do remember at the beginning of the week - the wind blew down the fence n the groups flew over and mixed so there might have been a fight that i didnt see...? Otherwise no new birds.
What other diet should i give him?
I shall try and get some of that!
I checked his feet 1st and they are clear, but i did wonder about his legs - ive never had/seen scaly leg so wasnt sure.
Should we keep him indoors in the sling? He gets very distressed if he is alone

 

[chickens really]

Possibly Fowl Pox?...
@Wyorp Rock

 

[SpringbankFamilyFarm]

You might want to buy some grower for him rather than layer pellets. The extra calcium in layer can lead to gout in birds that are not actively laying and have no need for it to make egg shells. If most of your flock are moulting, switching them all to grower for now would be a good move and offer crushed egg shells or crushed oyster shells in a spate dish for the actively laying birds to help themselves to whatever they need.

I shall try that as well. Thank you so much for your suggestions.

 

[rebrascora]

What other diet should i give him?

See my second post ...No 11 on this thread.

Should we keep him indoors in the sling? He gets very distressed if he is alone

It is difficult to know what will work in your set up, so you will have to play about with it and see. He may not accept being in a sling. Some birds don't and will struggle and get out regardless of how ill they are. Others find it beneficial. If your run isn't covered and your coop is not large, you may need to keep him somewhere else..... no good putting him out in it in the rain, or the weather changing and him getting soaked. It will be a case of trial and error to find a solution, or if you are not emotionally invested in him, then I would probably suggest to cull him. It may come to that anyway.
I'm pretty sure his comb is just blood spots/scabs from fighting if the fence got blown down earlier in the week. Was he able to walk immediately afterwards or did this sitting down coincide with that, which might indicate an injury.

 

[rebrascora]

We are obviously cross posting!

 

[SpringbankFamilyFarm]

See my second post ...No 11 on this thread.



It is difficult to know what will work in your set up, so you will have to play about with it and see. He may not accept being in a sling. Some birds don't and will struggle and get out regardless of how ill they are. Others find it beneficial. If your run isn't covered and your coop is not large, you may need to keep him somewhere else..... no good putting him out in it in the rain, or the weather changing and him getting soaked. It will be a case of trial and error to find a solution, or if you are not emotionally invested in him, then I would probably suggest to cull him. It may come to that anyway.
I'm pretty sure his comb is just blood spots/scabs from fighting if the fence got blown down earlier in the week. Was he able to walk immediately afterwards or did this sitting down coincide with that, which might indicate an injury.

The coop is well covered and the outside run is double the size of the indoor one attached to the coop so we can easily set up an area just for him.
Im afraid i am emotionally attached to all my chickens and so will try everything before considering that an option. But i understand it might be best if he doesnt improve.
He has been sitting down a lot recently since he started losing his tail feathers and during his moult. My other cockerel (Esmund) lost his tail feathers but has no other signs of moulting whereas this cockerel (Saturn) has lost feathers around his neck etc but there are pin feathers coming back. And today he seems to be able to stand - not walk well still...but can stand a while without shaking.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

4 years old and has been through a severe moult...but now is very lethargic and it’s almost like his body cant be supported by his legs so he wobbles like he has arthritis and spends a lot of time sitting down or sitting on his knees/bum.

And today he seems to be able to stand - not walk well still...but can stand a while without shaking.

Poor guy, he is defiantly molting, but I would check him over very well for any wounds. He's been bloodied by something, possibly fighting with the others. I do agree he has Scaly leg mites.

Stress from molt and attack, he is weak. He may also have an underlying condition that is also presenting itself, you never know.
I would put him on a higher protein feed like chick starter or an all flock. Get some poultry vitamins into him and see that he is hydrated. He may do better if separated out for a few days so he can rest and have his own food/water.

You treated for mites - what did you use?

For the Scaly Leg mites, give his legs a good coating of oil (use something like vaseline, castor oil, coconut oil, etc.) that will smother these microscopic mites.

 

[rebrascora]

Poor guy, he is defiantly molting, but I would check him over very well for any wounds. He's been bloodied by something, possibly fighting with the others. I do agree he has Scaly leg mites.

Stress from molt and attack, he is weak. He may also have an underlying condition that is also presenting itself, you never know.
I would put him on a higher protein feed like chick starter or an all flock. Get some poultry vitamins into him and see that he is hydrated. He may do better if separated out for a few days so he can rest and have his own food/water.

You treated for mites - what did you use?

For the Scaly Leg mites, give his legs a good coating of oil (use something like vaseline, castor oil, coconut oil, etc.) that will smother these microscopic mites.


View attachment 1552175

View attachment 1552177

I've had difficulty sourcing an "All flock" feed here in the UK. The best I can do locally is a grower and even then, finding one that is not medicated or very expensive is not easy. Mole Valley do an own brand unmedicated Grower pellet if the OP has one of those farm shops locally.

 

[rebrascora]

Edited/erased due to inaccurate info. @chickens really Turns out we do get it here, maybe just not this far north.