One Dead Roo, One Possibly Sick with Same Illness

[Happycowdog]

I am not sure what to do at this point. This is long winded so bear with me! My Marans roo, who would have been 1-year-old the first week in March, began to get lethargic last Sunday. He wasn't mingling with the others as usual and he was just sitting, dozing under the shelter my husband built for the chickens when they are out of the coop. That evening, he went into the coop with the others as usual. On Monday, I did get time to glance out into the yard and saw King Louis out with the others by the woods, so I was hoping he was getting better.

Tuesday around noon, I noticed my flock wasn't outdoors as usual so I went out there. It was snowing, but the chickens usually want to be outside, at least under the shelter. King Louis (the sick Marans) was in the loft resting on his side. I picked him up and took him indoors to check him over. I bathed him and noticed he had a bad case of mites. I felt he was too sick to dust at this point, so I just lathered his skin with olive oil. He had mint green diarrhea. I fed him yogurt and hard boiled egg which he did eat. He was also lame on his left leg.

I called around for some Sulmet for coccidiosis which may be from mites with no success, and tried to talk to "chicken experts." Everyone seems to think chickens are disposable, "and this stuff happens." I called my vet who wanted to charge $70 just for an exam which we totally couldn't afford. I set King Louis up by the fire and gave him some sugar water, but he passed away the next morning.

I took King Louis's poop to my clinic, but I didn't see anything. I talked to my large animal veterinarian instructor, who wasn't any help and didn't understand the attachment to a rooster. She suggested it just may be King Louis, he just was too weak. So, I'm on my own with this one.

By Friday, my other roo, Sonny was limping. I dusted each chicken, one by one, with Seven for the mites; cleaned and dusted the coop as well. I didn't notice any mites on the others. All of their tale ends were clean, no evidence of eggs. I thought it was odd. King Louis was literally covered....bunches of mite eggs on his tail end too. Is it normal for mites to attack one chicken out of a flock? I won't let my guard down, I'll watch for them, but I just find it strange.

Sonny doesn't seem to be lethargic like King Louis and I did check his feet for bumble foot, which he does not have. As far as isolating him from the flock, by now, all have been exposed in my opinion. I am keeping it as clean as possible out there and I have everything dusted. Do you guy's think it may be coccidiosis from mites?

If not coccidiosis, does anyone here have any ideas with what I may be dealing with? Sonny dosen't have diarrhea, but his poop was an odd shade of green....the only symptoms so far he is showing is limping. King Louis, was limping the day before he died. Thanks in advance.

 

[Judy]

I've never heard of getting cocci from mites -- but then I'm no expert, just have read a fair amount on here. Cocci are in the soil, and yours should be old enough to have immunity. When an older bird does get sick from cocci, they won't eat and get sort of hunched up and fluffed out, I once read a very experienced chicken keeper say.

Mites can kill a bird if they're infested enough, as you may already know. For one bird to have a much worse case than others, I would think was because they were attacking an already weak bird. Is it possible your birds have been poisoned, either on purpose or by eating something he shouldn't have while foraging? Another possibility is always the feed. We tend to assume it's fine, but occasionally it was bad before it left the feed store, or somehow got wet and molded in storage, and some mold can make them very sick or kill them. Do they have access to a compost pile?

The limping is the really confusing symptom to me. You might research Marek's. There are several types, and I don't know much at all about it, but I do know it can kill and it affects the nervous system. There isn't really a treatment. Some people have had some success with giving a vitamin (a few drops of infant liquid vitamins from the drug or feed store, no iron) plus 400 IU of vitamin E per day.

Maybe someone else will come along with some more ideas. Good luck!

 

[Happycowdog]

Thanks for the reply...interesting. We have some hay that we spread out back to keep it dry because it's been such a wet winter and it just seemed more comfortable to the chickens. Our backyard was a mud pit. We got the hay from a friend of ours who was practicing with his bow. I wonder if that has something to do with it....moldy hay? I didn't think it was moldy, it smelled great.

On the mites, I actually read that on here from a couple of people

.

I bought their feed from Tractor Supply, not the usual feed store I go to. I also bought some shavings in the same transaction, but ended up getting my money back because they were soaked! I just wonder if they left the big bags of feed out...

Things to ponder....poor King Louis.

 

[seminolewind]

If the poo is bright green, they are starving. Check breast bones at night.
Yes mites and lice can kill a chicken
Mold, fungus, or any poisoning can make a chicken lame.

I guess you can't discount Marek's. I've had chickens around a year old just waste away, and on the end, green poo , and lethargy, and staying away from the flock somewhat. Then you have the next chicken who's lame. Marek's would progress to paralysis, you may notice wing walking. I have a list of Marek's symptoms on a link in my signature.

But think about bugs, poison, mold fungus, etc, that can cause those symptoms. Sorry about King Louis.

 

[Happycowdog]

Wow....yeah, when I bathed him I could feel his breast bone big time....poor guy. I had no idea. Starving and being eaten alive with mites is a horrible way to go. I feel horrible....he came to us with two other black copper Marans hens. He was supposed to be a hen. But he seemed to get along fine. Then about two months ago we had an owl take out both of his hens and he was alone with Sonny's flock. I got two more hens from a friend of mine, for King Louis, and they took to him really quick. He was such a nice rooster. Sonny is the alpha male and maybe he got pushed out after his hens died. I miss his song...

 

[seminolewind]

Now you are giving me a lump in my throat! I've had several waste away in the past few years. They look like they're eating, but they're not, and you just never know till it's too late. Chickens are good at hiding things.

I can understand him being upset about his 2 hens. When I have penned up my Orp roo, he won't eat. His food is there day after day. I finally have to let him out. (Penned to give the girls a break). When my other roo was penned alone, he cried all day. Cried! So he got some hens with him. Sheesh , those roos are really sensitive!