Pale comb/face, bright yellow poop 3 year old rooster.

[Darlingoo]

Hi so my 3year old jersey giant rooster Shepard has been under the weather since October I've been taking him in and out of the vets, on multiple antibiotics.

Originally went in to the vets in October cuz his comb was purple/black and he was just stood in the doorway of his coop. The vet said his heart sounded fine and his breathing isn't an issue was most likely some infection. Through antibiotic and syringe tubing water managed to get him Back to normal.

Then late November he started turning again but this time his face, comb and wattle just went extremely pale and the uric acid in his poo was bright yellow. Now I wormed him in October and been worming him again since Saturday just to rule it out. the vets said again his heart and breathing is fine, no sign of external parisites or red mite in his coop. He used to have breaks throughout the day where he'd get a bite to eat then hunch up and rest for 30mins and continue. Now he'll just fine somewhere and hunch there.
I'm afraid to say he seems to be getting worse, he's completely food obsessed cottage cheese being number 1 on his list. Last night he was interested but ate a small amount then tucked his head under his wing, were as last week it would be gone in minutes. He is still eating and drinking just to say just in smaller amounts as the days go by. He's been on three sets of different antibiotics with no real help to symptoms.

I'll be ringing the vet again today but with his recent decline I'm grabbing at straws and thought I'd ask if anyone on here has any idea. I'll add some pictures of him down below aswell as a photo of his poop. One is a comparison to his son hatched last year, who looks the spit of him in his hay day.

Thank you very much for reading or answering in advance, if there's anything I've left out please let me know.

-mike

 

[Shadrach]

When I’ve had roosters with combs that turned purple/black who became disoriented and unfortunately later died one was definitely from liver failure, the others probably the same.
Yellow urates would also suggest liver, or urinary tract problems to me.
An avian fowl specialist should be able to test for the above problems. A local general vet may not have the experience or the interest.

Decline in health was fairly rapid with two roosters who died with similar symptoms. In the end I attributed the liver failures to feeding layers pellets with high calcium content. There has been quite a lot of research done on this.
If it is a liver problem there really isn’t much you can do except hand feed and hydrate until you feel that the quality of life is not worth the suffering.
Of course, I could be completely wrong and your rooster has other issues. The above is based on the experience I've had with roosters here.

 

[Darlingoo]

Thanks for your reply shadrach, tbh I was worried liver failure might come up. Sorry to hear about your roosters but thank you for sharing your experience of it. I think when he goes completely off his food and water itll be time to pass him on, just a shame.

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks for your reply shadrach, tbh I was worried liver failure might come up. Sorry to hear about your roosters but thank you for sharing your experience of it. I think when he goes completely off his food and water itll be time to pass him on, just a shame.

These are the hard decisions that unfortunately keeping any creatures forces us into.
If he does die please consider having a necropsy done.

 

[Eggcessive]

If he had something like aspergillosis, a fungal disease that can spread to organs leaving deposits all over, he could be suffering, and no antibiotics will affect him. Aspergillosis is from inhaling mold spores that spread through the air sacs all over and seed infection in organs. It may be found on necropsy, and there are no easy treatments for chickens. Sometimes it may only affect one chicken in the coop. I am only guessing at this possibility, but it may be something to look for if you lose him.

I assume you and the vet have examined him for mites and lice. If you are in the US, you could give him a daily dose of Poultry Cell or NutriDrench which contain iron, plus electrolytes, trace vitamins, and amino acids. Dosage is 2-3 ml daily. If he has liver failure, there is no treatment. Liver failure can lead to ascites, or fluid in the lower belly.

There are other chronic diseases in poultry that involve viruses, such as leukosis or Mareks that can cause tumors in organs. Big liver disease is caused by leukosis and can cause pale skin and yellow urates in the droppings. It might be best to give him watery chicken feed rather than too much cottage cheese. You can doctor it up with a bit of cooked egg, or liver to give iron and B vitamins.

Here is some reading about aspergillosis, and you can find more info online:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/aspergillosis/overview-of-aspergillosis-in-poultry

Here is an article about big liver disease associate with biral leukosis:
https://www.poultryworld.net/Health/health_tool/Lymphoid-leukosis/

 

[CT Coop]

Another possibility with yellow poo is Black Head Disease. Chickens are fairly immune to it, but it can affect them. It is caused by a protozoa spread by the cecal worm and it does affect the liver. I have had experience with my turkeys and yellow poo is the clearest symptom. Unfortunately, I don't believe there is any medication for it. I would definitely get a necropsy, if he doesn't make it, so you know what to do for the rest of your flock.

 

[Darlingoo]

Cheers for the incredible feed back, sorry for the late reply. Am based in uk also decided to bring him in while the snow was about just to keep an eye on him. I noticed he's more himself with being interested in everything, still a huge appetite. He's deffinitly lice and mite free, just off his course of wormer and his underbelly feels normal no swelling or abnormal feeling. But still a pale face, comb and wattles. And still has his funny moments of being hunched up/sick looking one moment then walking round normal trying to eat my toe cuz it moved

But there you go, thank you guys again for the replies and suggestions I'll look into them with greater detail when I get back from work. I'll deffinitly send him off for a necropsy if he does pass but I think when his appitite fully stops I'll make the call on putting him down. Wanna give him a chance but not be silly with it.

 

[Saaniya]

Hi so my 3year old jersey giant rooster Shepard has been under the weather since October I've been taking him in and out of the vets, on multiple antibiotics.

Originally went in to the vets in October cuz his comb was purple/black and he was just stood in the doorway of his coop. The vet said his heart sounded fine and his breathing isn't an issue was most likely some infection. Through antibiotic and syringe tubing water managed to get him Back to normal.

Then late November he started turning again but this time his face, comb and wattle just went extremely pale and the uric acid in his poo was bright yellow. Now I wormed him in October and been worming him again since Saturday just to rule it out. the vets said again his heart and breathing is fine, no sign of external parisites or red mite in his coop. He used to have breaks throughout the day where he'd get a bite to eat then hunch up and rest for 30mins and continue. Now he'll just fine somewhere and hunch there.
I'm afraid to say he seems to be getting worse, he's completely food obsessed cottage cheese being number 1 on his list. Last night he was interested but ate a small amount then tucked his head under his wing, were as last week it would be gone in minutes. He is still eating and drinking just to say just in smaller amounts as the days go by. He's been on three sets of different antibiotics with no real help to symptoms.

I'll be ringing the vet again today but with his recent decline I'm grabbing at straws and thought I'd ask if anyone on here has any idea. I'll add some pictures of him down below aswell as a photo of his poop. One is a comparison to his son hatched last year, who looks the spit of him in his hay day.

Thank you very much for reading or answering in advance, if there's anything I've left out please let me know.

-mike

I'm studying veterinary and pale uric acid or only watery white poo is most likely
In CRD
Newcastle
Or Kidney Damage When High Protein In Diet

You should look for multivitamins and give him and also see how much protein he's getting
Try feeding low protein and look his poop for few days

 

[Darlingoo]

Thank you for replying, unfortunately Shepard passed away a little bit ago. He fell to the floor in spasm and drifted off in my arms. Gonna put him in the freezer and look into having a necropsy done. just wanna thank everyone for there Input and help.

 

[Eggcessive]

Be sure and refrigerate, but not freeze the body. So sorry that you lost him, but please let us know any results from the necropsy.